The future of an ambitious medical college in North Delhi looks unsure as the Archaeological Survey of India has filed a police complaint about the new complex coming up within 300 metres of a protected monument.
The Mutiny Memorial, erected in 1863 to commemorate those who died in the Revolt of 1857, is in the vicinity of the Bara Hindu Rao Hospital. The North Delhi Municipal Corporation, which owns the hospital, started medical classes last year and intends to build a new complex for a college.
The corporation, in its budget this year, said the new complex will have a 10-floor surgery ward at a cost of Rs.5 crore; a 200-room hostel at a cost of Rs.5 crore and a pharmacology department to be built for Rs.1.31 crore. However, work on the project has been stalled due to the elections and the model code of conduct.
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According to the police, the ASI filed a complaint against the hospital for allowing the new complex to be constructed within 300 metres of the memorial, which is illegal.
“Though they filed a complaint a month ago, we haven’t been able to take action as the ASI itself gave a no-objection certificate to the project. There appears to be some sort of factionalism within the ASI, as one group wants the project to go ahead, while the other is against it,” the police said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, municipal officials said the ASI’s complaint had no basis.
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“The objections may be politically motivated as there is no reason to stop the project. Our children are forced to leave Delhi and go to South in search of medical education, where they have to pay lakhs in capitation fees,” said North Corporation Leader of the House Mira Aggarwal.
The proposed complex will not only have medical education facilities, but also add to the hospital’s capacity. “Right now, the hospital does 15,000 surgeries a year in 20 operation theatres. With the new complex, the capacity will increase to 60,000 surgeries as we will get 40 more operation theatres,” said North Corporation spokesperson Y.S. Mann.