TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: One of the last acts of Chief Minister, Laxmikant Parsekar’s as the Health Minister in the Parrikar government, was probably the partial inauguration of the long-delayed building of the upgraded Balli Primary Health Centre on November 5, 2014.
Parsekar had inaugurated only half the portion of the building – only the ground floor of the upgraded centre to be precise, for want of a lift connecting the ground floor to the first floor. The inauguration of the building had taken place against the backdrop of reports that Parrikar is heading to Delhi to take over the Union Defence portfolio and Parsekar saying he is ready to accept any responsibility as a soldier of the party.
Parsekar finally took over the reigns of the BJP-led government in the State days later, but his elevation has not benefitted the Balli Health Centre in any manner. Over the last two months since the inauguration of the upgraded PHC, the building has not been put to use for the patients. Even though the office of the chief minister had made a case for two bungalows, the lift of the upgraded hospital is yet to fall in place, leaving the first floor unutilised.
Herald inquiries revealed the Balli PHC, has just a few days ago, arranged the beds in the inaugurated building, though there is no sign of the early completion of the elevator.
When Herald contacted local Cuncolim MLA Rajan Naik, he said the first floor of the building will be put to use only after the completion of work on the elevator. Incidentally, he defended the delay in utilising the ground floor of the inaugurated building, attributing the same to shortage of medical officers and staff.
The in-charge of the Balli Primary Health Centre was not available for comment since she was on leave. However, sources in the know said the ground floor of the inaugurated building was being utilised only recently after the local media visited the hospital premises to ascertain the status of the centre.
Quepem MLA Babu Kavlekar said that foundation stone for the upgraded Balli Primary Health Centre was laid during the Congress tenure and around 80-90 per cent of the work was completed before the BJP returned to power in 2012. “It is shocking that the BJP government could not complete the work. It is even more surprising that the first floor of the building is awaiting commissioning of a lift,” remarked the Quepem MLA, who had initiated the project during the Congress regime.
