No room for Group D staff, they live in shanties

“I joined the hospital in 1985, but still live in a shanty. Every time we approach hospital authorities they tell us that they have no space to accommodate us,” said another Group D staff on the condition of anonymity.

Most of these employees live in front of the nurse’s hostel at the NRS Hospital and have set up their own colony. Besides, the employees of NRS Hospital, many employees of ID Hospital and the State Health Department have also been living in shanties here.

Ram Prasad, who works at the State Health Department, has been living in the colony for the last three years. “When I approached the authorities for a quarter, they gave me a token number. I am still waiting for my turn,” said Prasad. Like Prasad, Yashoda Kamar is another Group D employee of the Health Department, who is yet to be allocated a room.

“Most of us have given up hope for quarters. It is useless to even approach authorities concerned, as we have already done that a number of times. We are only scared that the police might come and evict us since we live on the street,” Prasad said.

Talking to The Indian Express, Medical superintendent of NRS Hospital Prof Laksmi Kanta Ghosh agreed that many of his employees did not have rooms. “We have very few rooms for our employees. Although, many families living in the staff quarters are not employees of the hospital anymore, but we are unable to vacate them, as they have been residing here for many years now,” Ghosh said.