22-07-13 … With the state government running in to doldrums due to the financial crisis after the supreme court had put a ban on mining activities in the state, the state government in a way to generate revenue towards its treasury seems to have now given the premises of yatri niwas belonging to the goa medical college and hospital at bambolim on rent to the officials of lusofonia games for setting up a games secretariat for the upcoming lusofonia games 2013 ….
Though the state government officials belonging to the goa medical college and hospital denied to say that the premises of yatri niwas was given on rent or had been rented but mentioned that it was just through mutual understanding that the yatri niwas premises was given to the organizers but one of the official of the lusofonia games 2013 who has come all the way from delhi for organizing the event said “we have rented the whole premises of yatri niwas and no one other than our staff is allowed to enter inside the building premises as it is totally cordoned off the official said”
Sources told goanreporter.com that around 35-40 from officials from delhi are already in goa for preparation of hosting the lusofonia games 2013 who have been put up in this yatri niwas along with officials from goa turning yatri niwas in to a games secretariat thus depriving locals from health facilities who sometimes event don’t get a bed space to sleep at night time if any of their close ones are admitted inside the gmc hospital
It may be noted that Yatri niwas is a 116 bedded accommodation where in there are dormitories with four beds in each room (12 rooms) and 8 beds in each 3 separated rooms on ground floor level while on the first floor, there are 22 individual double bedrooms with attached toilets which have been transformed in to office with computers and tables for the lusofonia games secretariat
but if one goes to the gmc hospital building at any given day one could easily find relatives of patients sleeping on the floor outside the wards with no space available for patients to sleep which has not been noted down by the state government thus giving yatri niwas on rent for lusofoina organizers instead of using it for patients relatives
Speaking over the issue of yatri niwas premises being given on rent chief minister manohar parrikar over the issue parrikar said “ I don’t think it is rented and been if it rented than what is the big problem the money would go to the state government only no and not to a private party and it is an internal arrangements”
Parrikar said “ yatri niwas was not being used as the premises is not for the patients but patients relatives and the same was lying vacant for three to four years and only expenses were paid so we taught of giving it to them so that rent being paid to outsiders by the organizers of lusofonia games were curtailed off and I do not think it is given on rent as someone who had informed you might not be aware of it”
Health minister laxmikhant Parsekar said “ yatri niwas was a premises who was built for keeping any patients relative and since it is vacant and not been occupied it has been given for setting up the games secretariat for lusofonia games which should not have a problem as it is a government premises and if the government can get some rent out of it then there should be no problem on it as we are earning some amount of it though I do not have a complete detail on it”
On asked as how was the premises being given no rent when there were problems of patients sometimes not being able to get bed space in the hospital Parsekar said “ gmc had around 1200 beds and whenever if there was an increase in the number of patients and beds were occupied then one had to sleep on the floor though such situations were also taken care off”
But surprisingly once again as usual the st andre mla vishnu surya wagh seems to have been kept aside over the issue who informed herald “ I am not aware of any such thing and since you brought it to my notice I have come to know about it and would try and find out what the whole issue is”
Meanwhile curtorim mla and congress spokesperson alexio reginaldo lourenco said “ gmc premises can’t be given for rent but should be given for public use and if it given then it is wrong as one side there are allegations that slabs or fall ceiling are falling and such premises should be required to be kept empty if such incidents taken place then patients could be shifted to it and therefore I think the government should look after patients instead of given the premises on rent due to the rainy season due to the outburst of fevers an all I think they should accommodate those people which have no bed no place to sleep to be accommodate there and that’s why I can say that the chief minister has lost hold of the priorities of the state”
