BMC sits on NGO proposal for 2 years

For the past two years, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been sitting on a proposal submitted by Vatsalya, an NGO from Kanjurmarg, asking for a plot on lease to develop it for the provision of medical facilities.

Vatsalya, which has been running an orphanage in Kanjurmarg (East) for over thirty years, has asked for the 13,000sq m plot adjoining it to set up medical facilities for the needy. The plot is currently being used as a post-delivery centre of the corporation, but is partially reserved for a hospital as per the city’s development plan.

“We submitted a proposal in 2010 requesting use of the plot as we wanted to set up a residential house for disabled children, a dialysis centre and an early intervention centre, among others facilities,” said NM Saraf, a trustee of Vatsalya.

The trust has also proposed a patient assistance programme, a toy library, a sensory integration therapy unit, a hydrotherapy unit and an activity room on the plot.

“We have been following up with municipal officials ever since, but are yet to get the nod from the civic administration,” added Saraf. “We will develop the plot completely and are ready to give the ground floor to the corporation. But we cannot understand the delay in sanctioning of the lease.”

Residents of the area said that the post-delivery centre (PDC) is not functioning at present. “Despite spending lakhs of rupees to construct it, it is not in full working condition,” said a resident who did not want to be identified.

However, officials from the health department said that the lease sanction was pending due to modifications in the earlier proposal.