Nagpur News.
The illegal construction of Orange City Hospital and Research Institute (OCHRI) on government land has a big fat connection with higher-ups in the department which allegedly displayed ignorance over the big blunder. A spate of irregularities in sanctioning process has resulted into the hospital administration moving scot free, thanks to its political connection. Nagpur Today has duly exposed how the 7/12 records of the said layout of Khasra no. 35 shows that plot 1 and 2, on which OCHRI building stands, were never sold to anybody and it was still government land.
A DP plan, a copy of which is with Nagpur Today ( see below), clearly shows the road approaching from the layout where the building of Orange City Hospital now stands. The red part in the image shown indicates the missing road because now the OCHRI building sits on it.
The proposed West High Court was to pass through the part of layout where the building stands. The exact location of this road is where the main gate of the hospital is erected and then approaches through the hospital premises. However, the hospital authorities have certainly made it a point not to give a damn to media reports in this regard.
When Nagpur Today quizzed Arun Nair, Director (Estate) at Orange City hospital he only showed his thick skin towards the issue and was rest assured that nothing can affect their murky affairs. “We are not responsible for answering media or citizens in this regard. If any official inquiry comes to us from the government we will reply to it.” Nair was asked that if the record shows the land still belong to government, then from whom they purchased the land? In his social media update, Nair had claimed that the said land was purchased in 1997 but he did not mention the name of the seller. This has raised suspicion over the role of NIT and NMC officials in the matter.
Also Read : Orange City Hospital illegally built on reserved land
Owner calls media blackmailer
Uday Bhaskar Nair, owner of OCHRI did not even bother to clarify his stand and went to call media blackmailer. “I did not want to talk to anyone. The media is blackmailer”, he said and hanged up.
Meanwhile various political leaders have questioned the role of sanctioning authority in this matter. They have strongly reacted to the goof up by the hospital authorities in erecting the building without due permission and also encroaching the land meant for constructing road.
Expressing shock over the alleged goof up by OCHRI, Nagpur MP and senior Congress leader Vilas Muttemwar said such massive irregularities are committed while the officials turn ignorant over this. “If a common man commits any such act, he is put behind the bars but no action is taken against such resourceful people. This practice is certainly wrong. We truly condemn such acts and demand action against such resourceful people operating on their whims,” Muttemwar told Nagpur Today.
Leader of opposition in NMC and senior Congress leader Vikas Thakre said the matter is very serious as it amounts to enormous violation of the laws. “Not only the hospital authorities should be put to inquiry, action should also be taken against the NIT and NMC officials who have allegedly given permission despite the fact that it’s still government land.
“If it is a government land how come a private hospital is built on that? We will get certainly get the question raised in the assembly”, says Thakre
Sources said that the hospital authorities had ditched many inquiries in the past as they enjoy the privilege of proximity with a senior BJP leader of national stature in the city. When Nagpur Today quizzed many of the BJP leaders, they however criticized the act but could not speak anything openly.
BJP MLA Krishna Khopde said though it was matter of due probe, the MLA or other public representatives of that area should look into that. BJP MLA Sudhakar Deshmukh said, “I will have to look through the papers before I come down to any conclusion.” Another BJP leader Vikas Kumbhare too came up with similar reply. “I will go through the entire matter first and then only I will be able to comment anything on that”, he told Nagpur Today.
Nagpur Today view
One must agree that the hospital administration has certainly overlooked the law and violated the finer boundaries set by the system. No doubt the hospital authorities could not do anything unless it got the support of conniving officials. This not only breaks trust of people on the reputation of hospital but also puts under suspicion the practice being followed by the hospital behind the scene. We believe that law should be equal to all and if the hospital authorities are guilty they should be certainly brought to the consideration of law, which must send strong message to those who influence authorities and encourage corruption in the government departments. This will also let citizens to retain their faith in rule book.
:: Ravikant Kamble ( mail to : news@nagpurtoday.in )
