The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) on Tuesday raised serious concerns over delays in construction work at Panchkula’s Sector 6 civil hospital and directed the Haryana’s public works department (PWD) to file a detailed report before the next hearing.
During a resumed hearing regarding basic amenities at the civil hospital, the Commission emphasised that the hospital is a lifeline for Panchkula residents and their basic rights are being compromised.
The complainant, SK Nayar, president of the Citizens’ Welfare Association, Panchkula, told the Commission that only about 70% of civil work at the hospital has been completed. He also highlighted several irregularities in the hospital and submitted a detailed note outlining his observations.
Komal Sharawat, ADA, stated that the chief medical officer (CMO) has been continuously writing letters to the PWD, B&R department, urging the completion of the work.
The Commission directed that a report be requisitioned from the engineer-in-chief, PWD B&R, Haryana, explaining why the civil hospital construction has not been completed. The engineer-in-chief was also instructed to depute a senior officer fully familiar with the project and its records for the next hearing. The Commission held that the continuous delay in completing the hospital is the sole responsibility and liability of PWD, Haryana.
Fire officer Panchkula, Ravinder Parashar, informed the commission that the hospital administration had applied twice in the last two months for a provisional NOC for the newly constructed Mother and Child Care Hospital. The requests sought additional time to complete the installation of fire safety equipment, which could not be finished on time. The first request was rejected, while the second is still pending. The fire equipment installation is currently being carried out by PWD, Haryana.
The complaint was originally filed by SK Nayar in March last year, highlighting alleged shortcomings in providing basic amenities and facilities at the Sector 6 civil hospital.
