The Hindu : Row in MCD over transfer of hospitals

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 07, 2003

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Row in MCD over transfer of hospitals

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI JAN. 6. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi today witnessed uproarious scenes as councillors of the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP clashed over transfer of five Corporation-run hospitals to the Delhi Government as recommended by the Delhi Finance Commission.

While discussing a short notice inquiry put up jointly by the Leader of the Opposition, Subhash Arya, and the BJP Councillor, Vijender Kumar, councillors of the rival parties accused each other of ignoring the interests of the Corporation.

Mr. Arya alleged that the Delhi Government had sent a letter to the Municipal Commissioner, Rakesh Mehta, on the transfer of five MCD hospitals -- Bara Hindu Rao, Rajen Babu TB Centre, Swami Dayanand, Mahatma Gandhi, and ID Contagious Diseases -- having over 100 beds with them.

``Mr. Mehta had even prepared a proposal in this regard without taking councillors in confidence. However, the Leader of the House, Ram Babu Sharma, was well aware of the entire episode. There is something shady behind the entire process,'' alleged Mr. Arya.

The BJP Councillor, Vijender Kumar, said under the DMC Act, providing health faclities and maintaining and upgrading Corporation-run hospitals was one of the obligatory function of the hospital and any amendment in the Act could only be done by the approval of Parliament.

``A conspiracy was being hatched by the Delhi Government against the MCD by taking over its properties, besides it was also infringing on the rights and work of the Corporation which will not be tolerated. The setting up of the Rural Board by the State Government is also a move in this direction,'' he added.

Countering all the allegations, the Leader of the House, Ram Babu Sharma, said the Delhi Finance Commission had recommended to hand over all the Coproation-run hospitals to the State Government having over 100 beds for its better maintenance and upgradation as it thought that it had enough resources and expertise to carry out this work as compared to the civic body which often faced problems in running them.

Stating that the entire matter was being considered and would be kept before the House, Mr. Sharma said he would be soon be meeting the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, and discuss the matter with her. "Nobody can stop the Corporation from carrying out its obligatory duties, and before taking any decision on the issue it will be ensured that the MCD's interests are not being compromised,'' Mr. Sharma assured the House.

However, there were heated arguments between the Congress and BJP councillors when both charged each other with adopting dual policies and trying to hurt the Corporation's interests. The BJP councillors alleged that the Congress, in the view of the forthcoming assembly elections, was playing petty politics by infringing in the Corporation's domain.

While the Congress councillors said when the BJP was in power both at the State and the Corporation, the civic body had handed over the same hospitals to the Government which had failed to run them properly so by raising the issue now it was indulging in the double standards.

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