Mumbai: Unused wheelchairs at JJ hospital raise questions on election spending

Call it a sheer waste of public money or lack of proper planning ndash over 1300 brand new foldable wheelchairs are lying unused in the main hall of the old boysrsquo hostel within the Staterun Grant Medical College and JJ Group of hospitals and it has become a talking point inside the campus Interestingly each chair is valued at around Rs 8000 which includes GST and other taxes and was procured through a government tendering processThat eveningTrucks laden with thousands of wheelchairs arrived at Grant Medical College campus on November 22 two days after the Assembly elections got over and they were offloaded at the old boyrsquos hostel within the campus Sources from the campus said ldquoSuch large quantity of wheelchairs were never ever brought inside their campus before and on inquiry they were informed that the wheelchairs were used for the state Assembly elections for Mumbai City and it was procured in the name of Grant Medical College and JJ Group of hospitals by the District Election office and therefore it was getting offloaded in JJ campusrdquoA tender was issued for 1338 wheelchairs Representation picCould have rather hiredA doctor who was earlier attached to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research DMER overseeing procurements of medicine and drugs said ldquoUsually a day or two before the polling we would make temporary arrangements of wheelchairs borrowing them from the nearby civicrun or staterun hospitals dispensaries primary health centre even private hospitals and clinics including clubs like Rotary and Lions and would return them after the polling It is unheard of procuring such a large quantity of wheelchairs for a single election an unwanted expenditurerdquo2538 polling boothsShyamsunder Survase deputy district election officer for Mumbai City said ldquoWe had difficulties in getting wheelchairs arranged for polling stations during the Lok Sabha elections and it had also caused inconvenience to senior citizens and disabled at some polling centres and therefore it was decided to procure the wheelchairs for the state Assembly election As per our records Mumbai City ColabaSionMahim was divided into 671 polling locations consisting of 2538 polling booths and 6300 disabled registered voters As we had planned for a minimum of twowheel chairs for each location we could cater to the needs of all those who required wheelchair assistance on November 20 on election dayrdquoFollowed due processG B Supekar district planning officer Mumbai City said ldquoWe followed due process of tendering by calling in for bids on GeM government tender portal for the supply of 1338 foldable wheelchairs for the elections and got the same delivered to us between November 15 to 17 These were deployed at the polling centres between November 18 and 19 and after the election on November 20 the wheelchairs were collected from all centres and then sent to Grant Medical College The Dean of JJ Group of hospitals has to decide as to how she wants to use themrdquoDean speaksDr Pallavi Saple Dean Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of hospitals said ldquoWe were asked to provide specifications for the foldable wheelchairs which was done by our internal Central Purchase Committee Since the procurement is done by the District Planning Office Mumbai City the payment for the same would be done by themrdquoDr Saple added ldquoMost of the centres under our umbrella hospitals ndash JJ St Georges GT Cama and Albes Palghar Rural Centre and Bandra Urban Centre would be getting few wheelchairs as per the requirements and we have been also asked to provide some wheelchairs to Podar Ayurveda hospital in Worli and St Georges Dental hospital toordquoWatchdog reactsNitai Mehta managing trustee at Praja Foundation said ldquoThere is no check and balance on using public money under the gambit of election expenditure It would be worth monitoring if the same wheelchairs are put in use for the upcoming BMC elections or fresh wheelchairs will be further procured It is something that people should keep a watch onrdquoAt Cama and Albless hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Tushar Palve said ldquoOur hospital has thirteen wheelchairs for our patients and an additional three wheelchairs if we get one it would suffice our requirement of sixteen wheelchairsrdquo