Maharashtra Govt to set up water authority in three months

He further said that big and medium irrigation projects would be controlled by the new entity, which would have the authority to plan and control the distribution of water in the State.

Minister for Irrigation Padamsingh Patil told the House that before giving final touches to the new authority, a joint meeting with the Opposition would be convened to take them into confidence.

However, Opposition member Eknathrao Khadse questioned the propriety of creating another authority when the Chitale committee had already suggested exhaustive measures on the issue.

CID to probe death of student

THE Maharashtra Government assured the Legislative Assembly that the CID would enquire into the suspicious death of a student, Ashwini Kumar, in the Sevagram Medical College Hospital at Wardha on January 6.

Replying to a starred question of Anil Gote and others, Minister for Public Health Digvijay Khanvilkar said that the student had met with an accident, fracturing his limbs. However, later at the hospital, he developed respiratory problems and died of double pneumonia. He further said that no post-mortem was conducted as the deceased’s father gave a written request against performing a post-mortem.

Opposition members Dr Daulatrao Aher, Arun Adsud, Madhu Chavan amd Sabir Shaikh however refused to believe the minister’s reply and alleged that the government was trying to cover up the case to protect the lethargy of the concerned doctors.

Dr Aher pointed out that as a rule, post-mortem was always done and that the student, who had sustained fractures, could not have died of pneumonia. The minister then said that according to the doctors, the student was a victim of microfat embolism, which led to microfat due to the bone marrow blocking the arteries.

However, Dr Aher contested the reply, pointing out that when no post-mortem was conducted, how the minister could come to that conclusion. He alleged that the letter (which the father of the deceased had given) was obtained under duress and that a CID probe was necessary.

The minister then replied that after getting the whole issue examined by specialists, the case would be handed over to the CID, if necessary.

Panel to study medical postings in tribal areas
The Minister for Public Health announced that a committee had been formed to study the staffing pattern of government doctors in Primary Health Centres and rural hospitals.

Replying to a starred question of D B Pawar-Patil, the minister ordered a departmental inquiry against two government doctors, who had refused to join their post of duty at the rural hospital in Gokunda in Kinvat tehsil of Nanded district.

He admitted that doctors were not willing to take up postings in rural and tribal areas and often got themselves transferred elsewhere as soon as possible or did not report for duty at all. He said that a panel had been formed to survey vacant posts and the cases of erring doctors not joining duties in rural hospitals and PHCs.

Govt to reduce price of MHADA tenements

MINISTER for Housing Rohidas Patil told the Legislative Assembly that the prices of tenements built by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority at Mankhurd, Pratiksha Nagar (Sion), Oshiwara and Powai would be reduced as there were not enough takers for the same.

Answering the starred question of Subhash Wankhede and others, the minister said that in Powai and Oshiwara, 559 tenements were vacant and attempts were being made to market 599 other tenements through institutions, corporations etc at a discount of ten per cent.

He pointed out that the rates for the tenements at Mankhurd and Sion had already been slashed but there were only 11 applications for the tenements in Sion and only 20 for those in Mankhurd. He said that even for tenements in Oshiwara and Powai, the rates would be reduced. The minister said that the government would make all efforts to advertise the reduction of rates and sell the tenements.

Opposition members, however, lambasted the government for fixing the prices of the tenements higher than those of private builders in the respective areas.

Scheme for slum-dwellers under review
Minister for Housing Rohidas Patil stated in the Legislative Assembly that the government had not taken a final decision on the scrapping of the previous government’s scheme of provided free houses to 40 lakh slum-dwellers in Mumbai. In a written reply to a starred question by Bala Nandgaonkar and others, he stated that the government had formed a committee under his chairmanship to review the scheme.

Slums led to collapse of compound wall of St George Hospital

MINISTER for Public Health Digvijay khanvilkar stated in the Legislative Assembly that the compound wall of St George Hospital collapsed because it had been weakened by slum-dwellers. In a written reply to a starred question by Jagannath Patil and Vishu Savra, the minister said that the 12 feet high wall collapsed on February 25, 2000 as slum-dwellers had driven poles through it to construct their huts. Besides, drainage water of the from the hutments had percolated through the wall.