E-Paper
Chandigarh: Now, vigilance to probe encroachment by sole chemist at GMSH-16
Chandigarh health secretary Yashpal Garg said on Sunday that the health department’s fact-finding committee had concluded its probe and submitted a comprehensive report to UT adviser Dharampal, who is also the chief vigilance officer.
After a fact-finding committee pointed to a possible collusion of health department officials with a chemist in the encroachment of a passage at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, the UT administration has initiated vigilance inquiry into the matter.
UT health secretary Yashpal Garg said on Sunday that the health department’s fact-finding committee had concluded its probe and submitted a comprehensive report to UT adviser Dharampal, who is also the chief vigilance officer.
“The adviser has marked a vigilance inquiry and directed SSP vigilance to investigate the whole matter in a time-bound manner,” said Garg, adding that strict action will be taken against those found guilty.
The UT administration had constituted a four-member committee on September 27 after a local court ordered a stay on the chemist’s removal, stating that there is no evidence on record to state that the health department had carried out an inquiry before coming to the conclusion that the chemist had demolished a partition wall and encroached upon a passage.
In its report, submitted to the UT and the court in October this year, the committee has pointed to the possible involvement of former director health services (DHS), Dr Manjit Singh Bains. The vigilance will now probe whether Bains was involved in the conspiracy or not.
The committee had stated, “In 2013, the UT vigilance superintendent had highlighted that ML Gupta illegally merged an adjacent shop with the one already occupied by him, in conspiracy with Dr Manjit Singh Bains, the then DHS...Considering that none of the officers objected to the said illegal act, while their offices were located on the first floor, the load-bearing wall might have been removed in connivance with officers at that juncture.”
“Had the then DHS and subsequent directors taken necessary action on time on such a sensitive and grave issue of irregularities, the continuation of the chemist shop beyond that period would have been stopped. In that case, the Chandigarh administration would not have suffered wrongful loss which could go into crores (sic),” the committee noted.
The committee had said that at present, the area occupied by the chemist shop at Booth Number 6, along with the passage, was 329.16 square feet, whereas as per drawings, the original area was 151.87 square feet.
‘Chemist asked to vacate encroached passage’
The UT health department had on December 22 ordered the chemist to clear an “illegally-occupied” public passage for the safety of lives and public property by December 25. The directorate of health services had clarified that the order was related to the “encroached area of the adjacent public passage only.” However, in view of the existing orders of the court, “you may continue with possession of the allotted space of the chemist shop”, the DHS had said to the chemist.
