PORVORIM: The opposition benches on Friday led a scathing attack on Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Health Francis D’Souza for illegally leasing out old Sanquelim Hospital building to an NGO, apparently run by a BJP MLA, for setting up a Nursing Institute.
The MLAs, including former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, former health Minister Vishwajit Rane, Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco and Independent MLA Vijai Sardesai, alleged that the property is been leased out without Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) guidelines and in violation of the Central Government’s Competition Act, which makes auction of non used government property mandatory.
During a question raised by Valpoi MLA Vishwajit Rane, it was informed to the House that government has leased out the old Sanquelim Hospital building to an NGO — Sai Life Care — whose chairman is MLA Dr Pramod Sawant, for running a nursing institute. The building with an area of 136.29 sq mts is leased out to SAI Life Care, for a period of five years, on a monthly rent of Rs10,910 fixed by PWD.
“The entire process is a scam. The building is leased out without CVC guidelines and without conducting any auction. I had spoken to former Advocate General, who confirmed to me that the process is in gross violation as government has no powers to give away its premise on lease without auction,” Rane alleged.
Admitting that the property is been leased out without CVC guidelines, Health Minister justified that government is bound to give non-used government buildings to NGOs or charitable organisations or education institutes on their request. “Here too, the motive was very clear to promote and create more nurses as State is short of qualified nurses,” D’Souza justified.
However, Rane was not happy with the reply and finding that Minister has no knowledge about the history of the said NGO, said “Health Minister is most inefficient and incompeten,” he said.
Participating in the discussion, Kamat and Sardesai supported the claim of Rane and questioned whether government has any guidelines as per which non-used government buildings can be leased out if not then the entire process is a scam.
D’Souza said that there are no such guidelines.
Coming to his colleagues rescue, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar assured the House that State Cabinet will soon come up with guidelines under which the government properties, which are unused, could be leased out to NGOs or educational institutions.
