Almost eight years have passed since the Quepem Health Centre building is ready but neither the BJP government nor the Health Department in particular is interested to inaugurate the centre.
Since Quepemkars are deprived the basic health facilities, agitated Quepemkars along with the Quepem Municipal Council Chairperson Rahul Pereira have now given an ultimatum to government to inaugurate the health centre and restore all facilities or else they would stage protest till their demands are met.
Speaking to Herald, Pereira said he will be calling a public meeting to discuss the health centre issue. A decade back the present Chairperson Pereira had led an agitation to demand the upgradation of Quepem Sub Health Centre to Primary Health Centre. All Quepemkars had protested to meet their demand and the then Congress Government had upgraded the centre.
It may be recalled that the then Congress Government had constructed a huge Health Centre building with 15 bed facilities. The Sub Centre has also got the Status of PHC. The then Congress Government had promised locals they would provide 24-hour health facilities in Quepem Health Centre. After the fall of Congress Government and the rise of BJP Government, this promise remained in cold storage for the last eight years.
There is no other health facility available close by for Quepemkars. They have to either depend on the Curchorem or Balli Health Centre.
People allege that due to politics this Health Centre is not being opened. Some Congress supporters allege that Government does not want to give credit to Chandrakant Babu Kavalekar, leader of the Opposition.
Whatever the allegations and whoever is in the ruling, people feel that the government should open the centre given the over Rs 1 crore spent from the public treasury MLA and opposition leader Chandrakant Kavalekar also expressed his helplessness in this issue.
