Hostile takeover? Airoli doctor moves HC as NMMC moves to ‘acquire’ his ₹35-crore hospital

Airoli's Flamingo Hospital developer accuses Navi Mumbai Corp of a "hostile takeover" for public use, sparking legal and administrative disputes.

NAVI MUMBAI: A confrontation has broken out in Airoli between a private hospital developer and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) over a proposal to acquire a nearly completed multi-speciality hospital for public use.

Hostile takeover? Airoli doctor moves HC as NMMC moves to ‘acquire’ his ₹35-crore hospital

Dr Sanjay Singh, owner of the six-storey Flamingo Multi-Speciality Hospital in Sector 12, has approached the Bombay High Court, alleging a “hostile takeover” by the civic body. The ₹35-crore project, built on a plot purchased through a CIDCO e-auction in August 2022, is structurally complete but awaits a final Occupancy Certificate (OC).

Singh claims the project has been deliberately delayed despite compliance with required norms. “Approvals that should take days took months. I have invested my life’s work and borrowed nearly ₹20 crore. As the project remains stalled, interest is mounting,” he said.

The dispute escalated after a resolution, led by Airoli corporator and Standing Committee chairperson Ashok Patil, proposed acquiring the property, citing its “central and strategic location.” The proposal invokes provisions of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act that allow the civic body to acquire land for public purposes.

Patil defended the move, arguing that the ready-built structure could be quickly converted into a 100-bed civic hospital. “Building a new hospital takes years. This can be operational in months and will benefit residents who currently travel to Rabale even for basic services,” he said, adding that the area currently relies on a temporary container-based health centre.

He denied targeting the developer, saying the proposal was purely in public interest.

However, Singh has questioned the rationale behind the move, pointing out that the NMMC already owns a large hospital building in Airoli’s Sector 3 that remains underutilised. “Instead of strengthening its own facility, the corporation is attempting to take over a private project,” he said.

The issue has triggered a wider debate over the civic body’s priorities and use of existing infrastructure.

While Singh’s petition is pending before the Bombay High Court, the NMMC has placed the acquisition proposal on the General Body agenda for final approval, setting the stage for a parallel legal and administrative battle.