SRINAGAR: The paramilitary CRPF has occupied under-construction Mother and Child Hospital (MCH) at Bemina here, affecting ongoing work at the upcoming health institute
Sources said recently bunkers, tin sheds and other structures started to come up in and around the under construction hospital and within days the CRPF moved into the building.
“It all started around three weeks ago and ever since more troopers have been shifted to the building,” locals said. The CRPF has occupied all floors of the hospital and even set up bunkers on them. The boundary wall of the hospital has been circled with concertina wires.
Authorities at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, under whose control the hospital will function, said the building was yet to be handed over to them by Roads and Buildings (R&B) department. “We have no knowledge about it,” Principal GMC, Prof Samia Rashid said. She said she will seek a report from the officials concerned.
The chief engineer R&B, Nisar Ahmed Bhat, said he had no prior information about shifting of forces into the building. “No permission was sought from us,” he said. He added that although construction work has not been stopped, it would “obviously suffer due to a large number of troopers putting up there”.
Coming up at a cost of Rs 75 crore, the hospital is set to have 500 bed— 300 for maternity and 200 for paediatrics. Started in 2011, the project has already missed many deadlines. While Kashmir has a 750 bedded maternity tertiary care hospital, there is the gross shortage of infrastructure for paediatrics. The hospital is expected to alleviate the deficiencies in pediatric healthcare in Kashmir.
The CRPF PRO Sanjay Sharma said he was busy and can speak over the issue only tomorrow.
J&K police said the paramilitary forces would stay in the building for “Yatra period only” as they don’t have any alternative space to accommodate them. “The forces would stay there for Yatra period only,” said the senior superintendent of police, Srinagar, Imtiyaz Ismail Parray.
The annual Amarnath Yatra is set to start from 28 June and will continue up to 26 August. “The occupation of the building for over two months will affect completion of the project by December 2018, the deadline set for the much-awaited facility,” said an official wishing anonymity.