The state government’s grant also remains unpaid
Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts Exclusive
In view of the sky-rocketing land prices, the trustees of the Wadia Hospital, high officials of the state government and a developer are colluding to sell the land of the Wadia Hospital set up in a prime location at Parel in South Central Mumbai, to earn crores of rupees.
The Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital functioning for the last 90 years has private and Govt sections. The children are given treatment at concessional rates in the Govt section. The hospital receives grants from the Maharashtra Government as well as the BMC.
The BMC has been giving a grant to the Govt section of the hospital regularly. However the state government has not paid the grant for the last several months, the Sprouts Special Investigation Team has learnt.
Because of this disparity and shortcoming, the employees are not receiving sufficient salaries and the hospital has been facing a shortage of medicines. The hospital has no modern medical equipment and most of the time the child patients are sent back without treatment. Due to this, the hospital is heading towards closure.
All these are attempts to close down the existing hospital and privatise it, Nana Parab, president of the Lal Bavta General Kamgar Union told the Sprouts.
“The salary of employees of the hospital is paid by the state Govt and the BMC based on the recommendations of the 5th Pay Commission. Basically, it should be paid as per the 7th Pay Commission. More importantly, the state government has not paid Rs 10.10 crore, which is 50 % of its share of the grant. The grant has remained unpaid despite our repeated requests and reminders. As such we have moved the Bombay High Court,”
Prakash Reddy,
General Secretary,
Lal Bavta General Kamgar Union
