*Notice issued to vacate quarters
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Oct 15: About 17 families of nursing as well as Class IV staff of Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh Hospital, Jammu, who are living in staff quarters located in the hospital complex, are on the verge of becoming shelterless as Hospital administration has given them ultimatum to vacate the quarters within four days.
According to the sources, about 17 families of nursing staff of SMGS Hospital have been living in the Government quarters located in a two-storey building, which has been declared unsafe by the authorities concerned long ago, as it is too old and may collapse any time.
Elaborating more, they said that these quarters were constructed in 1940’s when the hospital was established and with the passage of time, these quarters have lose their strength and are on the verge of collapse. Due to their shabby condition the authorities concerned had declare them unsafe few years ago.
“However, despite issuance of repeated notices, the families living there did not vacate the quarters as they had no alternate accommodation. In the meantime, Government started work on construction of 16 new quarters for the staff a few years ago, the work on which was fully completed and they are now ready to use”, sources said, adding that the Hospital authorities have not allotted the same to the staff and are forcing them to vacate the quarters immediately.
When contacted, Medical Superintendent, SMGS Hospital, Dr Raj Kumar Sangra, said that nobody is forcing them to vacate the quarters. “I have only complied to the orders of Principal, GMC Jammu by issuing them notices to vacate the quarters, which have been declared unsafe by the concerned authorities long ago”, he added.
Dr Sangra further said, “On the orders of Principal, GMC Jammu, he has issued two notices in last over one week to the occupants of the quarters. Moreover, his predecessor has also issued several notices to these staff members during his tenure, asking them to vacate the quarters as they are unsafe to live and may collapse any time. However, they did not vacate the same.”
He said they have orders to vacate the family quarters as soon as possible, so that they may be dismantle and new quarters for Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent of the Hospital may be constructed at the same site, for which even the funds have been released.
When asked why they have not yet allotted the newly constructed staff quarters to the families living in unsafe quarters, Dr Sangra said he is not aware of the reason behind it, as he has took over only a month ago. However, he said that a committee to allot newly constructed quarters to staff members has been constituted by the GMC Principal, Dr Sunanda Raina, but he does not know why the committee has not yet allotted the quarters to the staff members.
However, several attempts to contact Principal GMC, Dr Sunanda Raina, to take her comments proved futile.
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