Construction of TB & Leprosy hospital : State share behind inordinate delay?
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 28 2014 : TB and Leprosy Hospital being constructed at Keirao-Wangkhem in Imphal East district could not be completed even after four/five years since the construction work started because of the State Government's failure to produce its matching share of fund.

The total estimated cost of the hospital which would have the capacity of 60 beds is Rs 8.37 crore excluding the staff quarters.

Out of this total amount, Rs 5 crore was funded by the Centre through Special Plan Assistance (SPA).

The remaining Rs 3.37 crore is the State's share.

The total amount of Rs 8.37 is meant for construction of main building, electrification, construction of new kitchen, X-Ray room, compound wall, renovation of pond and old buildings formerly used by CVTC and repairing of toilet blocks.

All these works were executed by Manipur Police Housing Corporation while the construction of staff quarters was handled by Tribal Development Corporation.

But construction of staff quarters was abandoned mid way.

A new but incomplete building of TB & Leprosy Hospital

Another component of the project is construction of a water supply scheme which would draw raw water from Iril river and its estimated cost is Rs 1.7 crore.

Efforts to contact the Health Director on the matter proved futile.

Nonetheless, an official source in Manipur Police Housing Corporation claimed that most of the project components it executed were on the verge of completion.

Just 10 days is more than enough to complete all the unfinished portions.

Of the total estimated cost of Rs 8.37 crore, Rs 4.57 crore has been released in three phases; Rs 3.20 crore on February 2, 2010, Rs 55 lakh on February 4, 2013 and Rs 42 lakh on March 26 this year.

The Manipur Police Housing Corporation has written repeatedly to the Health Directorate to release the remaining amount.

The Directorate also submitted a proposal to the Government to sanction the remaining amount in June 2011 .

However, the Government has not been releasing the requisite remaining amount.

As such, the hospital construction work is being executed at a very leisurely pace awaiting release of the remaining amount.

As per the contract, all the components of the project executed by Manipur Police Housing Corporation should be completed by 2012.But the Government's failure to release the requisite fund resulted in inordinate delay.