Jharkhand CM nod to 300-bed ECL-funded hospital at Mahgama

Chief Minister Hemant Soren has given his nod to a 300-bed hospital at Mahgama in Godda district and the proposal will be taken up before the cabinet soon.

The proposed hospital with the financial assistance of the Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) is a long pending demand of the people of Mahagama. But the project remained pending as the state health department was not ready on the point of the operational cost of the hospital.

A day back Congress’ Mahagama MLA Dipika Pandey Singh met Chief Minister Hemant Soren and again pressed this demand. The chief minister gave his consent and directed the health department to take necessary action in this matter.

Dipika Pandey Singh has long been facing the demand for an ECL funded hospital and she raised this matter inside and outside of the assembly.

“The proposal will be placed before the cabinet. An MOU will have to be signed between the state government and the ECL,” said additional chief secretary cum health secretary Arun Kumar Singh.

Notably, in 2012 the ECL agreed to fund the hospital project and a land measuring 25 acres of the agriculture department at village Mahuara was also earmarked. The ECL also agreed to provide Rs 240.08 Crore for the construction. The proposed hospital is meant for the people affected in the coal mines project. Mahagama sub division falls in the mining area. Roughly a population around five lakh situated in 90 panchayats and 813 villages are affected by the mining. There is no good hospital for them and they have to travel 40 km to district headquarters or to Bhagalpur to get medical facilities.

The ECL was ready to fund the entire project and transfer the same to the state government, but apparently the state government differed on the issue of the operational cost of the proposed budget. But Dipika Pandey Singh argued that an important project like this can’t be abandoned or delayed just for operational cost. She said the health department can meet the requirement of the operational cost from that district mineral foundation.

Expressing pleasure over the development the MLA said that she expects the government to expedite the process. “I had promised my people this hospital because they require it. I have been raising this issue on every available forum and personally requested the Chief Minister. I wish the process like MOU is expedited before the commencement of the monsoon session,” she said. Lagatar24