By IANS,
Panaji : The Goa government’s decision to hand over a government-run district hospital to a private health care agency in public-private partnership (PPP) has hit rough weather.
The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday said the Congress-led government’s decision to hand over the government medical facility, the Asilo district hospital, to Mumbai-based Radiant Life Care Pvt Ltd, was one riddled with irregularities and corruption.
The Panaji bench of the Bombay High Court Tuesday stayed the tendering process of the hospital located at Mapusa, 15 km from here.
“We want a probe headed by the chief secretary in the irregularities in the bidding process of the Mapusa hospital. We, as a party, are opposing this PPP handing over (of the hospital) in public interest and on grounds of corruption,” Leader of Opposition in the Goa legislative assembly Manohar Parrikar told IANS Thursday.
“There are several issues about the PPP handover which are questionable. The health minister has reneged on his promise in the Goa legislative assembly, that the government will not fully privatise the hospital,” Parrikar said.
Health minister Vishwajeet Rane of the ruling Congress party has said that the PPP process was transparent and without any irregularities.
“Let the opposition shout as much as they want. The entire tendering process has been transparent and fair,” he said.
The Bombay High Court bench in Panaji Tuesday had stayed the tendering process following a petition by a rival bidder Shalby hospitals, an Ahmedabad-based health care firm.
Shalby hospitals was one of the three firms shortlisted by the Goa health ministry from the eight companies which had responded to the expression of interest (EOI) notice floated by the government.
“We had pleaded before the court that the government’s decision to grant the tender to Radiant (Life Care Pvt Ltd) was improper. The decision by the state government was taken without considering my client’s bid,” counsel for Shalby hospitals Atmaram Nadkarni said Wednesday.
The High Court bench comprising Justice S.A. Bobde and F.M. Reis, while staying the tendering process, directed the Goa government not to move further on the PPP bids, until the court heard the matter next on June 20.