Expecting Minister Sarbanand Sonowal’s Intervention In the Matter
Mumbai Port Authority Chairman Rajiv Jalota is being targeted on whose instructions?
Hrridaysh Deshpande’s claim that the super specialty hospital is ready is completely false; Where exactly did he spend the Rs. 150 crores he claimed to have been spent?
Mumbai, 27: Fake news has been circulated about Mumbai Port Trust/Authority’s hospital that “the 600-bed Grand Port Hospital at Wadala is ready and only its transfer is yet to be done”. Zodiac Healotronics Pvt. Ltd.’s director Hridayesh Deshpande has made a desperate attempt to draw people’s attention to the case of this hospital by giving it to some newspapers. Anyway, whatever he did was good, otherwise, Maharashtra Varta would not have felt the need to deliberately disclose the information of this his company as well as Mumbai Port Trust hospital. The petition filed by Zodiac Healtronocs in the Bombay High Court to prevent its belongings from being removed from the Mumbai Port Hospital was recently rejected. The result was not in favor of the company. So, they had to move their stuff from there. Currently, the matter is pending before the High-Power Committee constituted by the Central Government of India. In such a situation Zodiac Healotronics Pvt. Limited directly accusing Mumbai Port Trust Chairman Rajiv Jalota of not transferring the hospital. Putting pressure on him is tantamount to contempt of the Bombay High Court. Basically, Chairman Rajiv Jalota saw clear irregularities in this PPP project so he decided to take strict action in time. Otherwise, the Mumbai Port Trust hospital and 10 acres of land would have been lost from MbPA’s workers forever.
Unrealistic comments from local representatives based on insufficient information
Since last week, we have been reading news about Mumbai Port Trust’s Super Specialty Hospital in some newspapers. Political leaders of some parties are seen holding the Mumbai Port Trust administration on sword edge. Sachin Padwal, a former corporator of the Thackeray camp, said that “a well-equipped super specialty hospital has been set up, but the Mumbai Port Trust is taking too much time to start it!” It is certain that Padwal must have seen this well-equipped hospital either in his dream or else someone is misleading him by giving false information. Basically, Zodiac Healotronics Pvt. Ltd. had already been told by the Mumbai Port Trust/Authority administration to stop the work of the Port Trust. The fact is the dialysis machines donated by the Rotary Club have certainly turned into dust, but the question remains as to on what basis the company took possession of this equipments. Therefore, it is necessary for Padwal to study the technical aspects and after that, it would be appropriate to react in this controversial case.
In a newspaper, it was mentioned that BJP MLA Sunil Rane had raised questions regarding the Port Hospital in the Legislature during the Assembly session. He said that “A well-equipped hospital is ready; it is not used. Many pieces of machinery including ventilators have fallen into dust there.” Now the question arises did MLA Rane visit the Mumbai Port Trust hospital and say the current condition there? Did he count the total number of beds? Did he meet Mumbai Port Trust Chairman Rajeev Jalota and asked him the question “Why has Zodiac Healotronics Pvt. Ltd. been shown the way out of this hospital.” In this matter, 2 years ago, after a written complaint was sent to the Prime Minister of the country, Narendra Modi, through the major trade unions of the Port Trust, a rapid investigation was started and further actions were taken by the MbPA administration from time to time. Does MLA Sunil Rane’s thought is different from his own party’s prime minister?
Why ‘this’ labor leader from Chennai suddenly falls in love with Mumbai Port Authority’s Employees?
President of Indian Major Ports and Dock Officers Association R. Santhanam also criticized the Mumbai Port Trust officials in a newspaper and accused them of stalling the transfer of the hospital. Research Journalism Department of Maharashtra Varta would like to ask R. Santhanam that did he read 400 pages concession agreement that took place between Mumbai Port Trust/Authority and Zodiac Healotronics Pvt. Ltd… If he calls himself a labor leader, then why didn’t he find anything fishy in this? How many times did he visit the Wadala-located MbPA hospital? How many workers of Mumbai Port Trust are with him? Many such questions arise in our minds. Dock workers need to know that despite the fact that the Central Government has appointed a high-level committee, at whose behest Santhanam has made such baseless allegations against the Mumbai Port Trust administration. He should also answer the question that why he did not raise his voice at that time against then Mumbai Port Trust Chairman Sanjay Bhatia and Chief Health Officer Anna Durai when the entire process place.
Does Hrridaysh Deshpande is trying to pressurize Rajiv Jalota by making false allegations?
Doubtfully, in these news articles, Deshpande is trying to convey a lot of misleading information to the people, especially the ex-employees of the Mumbai Port Authority. The basis for this suspicion is that it is mentioned that the hospital used to have 240 beds and now has 600 beds. Zodiac Healotronics Pvt. Ltd’s Deshpande says we spent hundreds of crores of rupees (150 crores?) on the project. They should show Port Trust workers where they have spent these hundreds of crores of rupees in hospitals. When did they bring more than 360 beds to the hospital and where exactly did, they keep them? (As per sources currently, less than 100 beds are in working) How many wards did they develop in total? Did they set up an underground hospital that is not even visible to regular visitors? Rather than giving inadequate and misleading information to the media, Hridayesh Deshpande should tell why the Bombay High Court rejected their petition. In this case, it is necessary for Mumbai Port Trust and especially Chairman Rajiv Jalota to demand a written explanation from Hrridaysh Deshpande about spreading false information in the media.
Zodiac Healotronics Pvt. Ltd. does really have the capacity to establish and run a super specialty hospital?
The government will have to consider whether the company, which is seeking transfer, has the technical and financial capacity to complete the Rs. 693 crore project. According to the information received, Shivdutt Das is the managing director of this company and Hrridaysh Deshpande and Dilip Kawad are the directors. The company’s Address is L. M. Nadkarni Marg, Wadala, Mumbai. But the address of the company looks incomplete. This company was established on September 20, 2019. The assets of this company are Rs. 122.17 crores and its debts and liabilities are Rs. 117.50 crores. The company neither earned any income nor incurred any operating expenses. The bank balance is Rs. 2.03 crore and loans from banks are Rs. 150 crores. Now the question arises that where and how this Rs. 150 crore was spent. As per the rules, the company had not partnered with the Mumbai port authority. The company was not structured as a special purpose vehicle on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis. It is not a joint venture. The debt burden of the company has increased. Payables are increased. The amount in the balance sheet is inflated.
As per sources the structure, capacity, and competence of this company have been questioned by the members of the high-powered committee constituted by the central government. In such a case, when the contract signed by Mumbai Port Authority dated 03.10.2019 with this company is on the verge of termination due to many reasons, the workers of Port Trust now know exactly why the news is being published which culminates in falsehood by publishing the picture of a non-existent hospital called ‘Grand Port Hospital’. Maharashtra Varta and the recognized trade unions of the Mumbai Port Authority have repeatedly drawn attention to the entire matter and exposed the maladministration in front of port trust management and the central government. These unions have also filed petitions in the Bombay High Court to protect the interests of the workers as well as the Port Authority. Hence, there are whispers among ordinary workers that the company is spreading disinformation out of frustration. Basically, the so-called leaders who are taking the direct or indirect side of Zodiac Healotronics Pvt. Ltd. and reacting immaturely to the media need to think that why the workers of Mumbai Port Trust are not behind us. Now these leaders have to decide whether they want to fight for the employees on their behalf or support a company that is not eligible.
Only ‘deserving’ companies who can complete the project should be given a place in the new tender process
It is in the public interest to find out who is responsible for this project, which has been stalled for the last five years. There is no doubt that the workers should receive highly specialized medical services in a proper manner and avoid losses to the Port Authority. For that, it is necessary to start the new tender process at the earliest. Which should be transparent and inclusive of other super specialty hospitals instead of being suspicious like the 2018-19 tender process. There is certainly no dearth of super specialty hospitals in Mumbai and the world at large offering high-quality healthcare services. Their management experience in running such hospitals with high standards of professionalism is excellent. The Mumbai Port Authority Administration needs to see on priority how such worthy companies can be included in the tender process. Without it, the dream of five-star healthcare services for 75,000 ex-workers and their families in Mumbai Port Trust will not be fulfilled.
Minister Sarbanand Sonowal must Intervene In the Matter
Sarbananda Sonowal, Cabinet Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways who has been visiting Mumbai at the end of this week should intervene in this long-drawn project of the Hospital and advise the MbPA as well as his ministry to terminate the Concession Agreement, to find the alternatives for best health care services to the thousands of the beneficiaries, save MbPA from further losses and disrepute, to initiate action against the executives responsible for the mess and to recover the damages from the Concessionaire for its breach of the agreement.
