Srinagar, July 29: State’s Health and Medical Education Department (H&ME) has missed the 15-day deadline set by the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, to prepare Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the construction of 250-bed children and 200-bed maternity hospitals at Bemina here.
 On May 31, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, had approved the proposal of the H&ME department to construct two hospitals to be built over an area of 3.5 hectares, and had given it two weeks’ to finalize building construction plan along with the DPR.
 “In two months time H&ME has only finalized the construction site and rough building outline,” said an official wishing anonymity.
 “The future of the project, which was approved with a rough estimate of Rs 50 crore, hangs in balance as the H&ME department has failed to pursue Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) to complete the DPR,” the official said. “At present pace, DPR will take at least six months to get ready.”
 He said officials of H&ME department and functionaries of Government Medical College Srinagar held several meetings with JKPCC engineers to settle the construction cost, architectural agency and other related formalities. “Nothing substantial could be finalized,” he added.
 When contacted, the Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education Department, M K Dwivedi said: “Some aspects of the hospital projects took extra time to decide on. But we are calling an emergency meeting in couple of days to decide the status of the project.”
 Pertinently, following massive public outrage over the tragic infant deaths at the “dreaded” GB Pant Hospital, the state government had approved construction of new hospitals at Bemina here.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 29 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 29 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 30 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST