Contractor fined as revamp delayed
The BMC has started slapping a fine of `1 lakh per day on the contractor tasked with the renovation work of Dr RN Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle (west). With no end in sight for the ambitious makeover plan, undertaken three years ago, civic officials are clueless about when the hospital will be opened for public.
According to civic officials, the restoration of Cooper Hospital is going on at snail’s pace even though the deadline expired eight months ago.
In an attempt to provide quality healthcare to people from western suburbs, the BMC undertook the refurbishment of Cooper Hospital in November 2009. The 574-bed super-specialty hospital was expected to be ready after three years in November 2012. However, with the renovation works still dragging on, the BMC gave the contractor a deadline extension of June this year.
“About 20 per cent of the work is still to be completed,” said Jitendra Gupta, deputy city engineer (building constructions-western suburbs). “Due to this delay, we have started charging a fine of `1 lakh per day on the contractor from June 16 till the work is completed,” added Mr Gupta.
However, he failed to assure when the hospital would be thrown open to the public in the future.
According to civic officials, the delay has been caused due to earlier works like shifting of medical equipment, demolition of old buildings.
The `265-crore Cooper Hospital project involves construction of a six-storey building with 574 beds, 20 operation theatres, laboratory, blood bank, ICU, maternity ward, paediatric department, burns ward, ENT ward along with various other departments. The project will also have other features like rainwater harvesting, solar heating, sewage treatment etc.
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