Jaipur, March 25 (IANS). Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday released the third chapter of his digital series ‘Intezaar Shastra – The Science of Waiting’, in which he expressed serious concern over the delay in the construction of IPD tower at Jaipur Women’s Hospital (Sanganeri Gate).
He alleged that the project has become a victim of the negligence and insensitivity of the present BJP government, due to which the necessary healthcare infrastructure has remained incomplete.
Gehlot said that this project was started by the Congress government in February 2023. Its estimated expenditure was around Rs 117 crore and its objective was to provide world-class healthcare facilities to women.
The proposed IPD tower has been designed to significantly improve medical services. It will have a capacity of 500 beds, a modern ICU of 50 beds and six state-of-the-art modular operation theatres.
According to him, this project was an important step towards strengthening maternal and women’s healthcare in the state.
He expressed deep concern that the project, which was to be completed and dedicated to the public by August 2025, is now facing delays and is in limbo.
Questioning the current administration, Gehlot asked whether women’s healthcare is no longer a priority? And how much longer will the people of the state, especially mothers and sisters, have to wait for such essential facilities?
Referring to his ongoing digital series, Gehlot said that this is not an isolated case.
In the first and second episodes of his series ‘Intezaar Shastra’, he had raised questions on the delay in the construction of the IPD tower at SMS Hospital as well as projects related to Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Social Sciences.
Throughout the series, he has consistently highlighted what he describes as a pattern of slow progress and administrative inaction in completing important public-welfare projects initiated during his tenure.
Expressing concern over healthcare infrastructure, Gehlot, in the second episode of his series, questioned the delay in the construction of the 1,200-bed IPD tower at SMS Hospital.
He said the project, which was conceptualized in 2022 and was supposed to be completed by 2024, is now more than a year behind schedule, and no significant progress is visible.
He commented that the hospital should have been constructed by 2022; But, even after more than a year of the deadline, it is still incomplete.
Gehlot further alleged that during the tenure of BJP, not a single floor of this tower has been constructed. He further said that the delay in the IPD tower meant compromising the lives of patients, and the aim of the project was to provide relief to thousands of patients coming to the largest government hospital in the state.
–IANS
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