Srinagar, Feb 06: The Jammu and Kashmir government has returned the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the proposed 249-bedded Maternity and Child Care Hospital (MCCH) in Anantnag, advising the concerned department to identify a clear source of funding other than NABARD, government told the Assembly on Friday.
The DPR for the Rs 86.5-crore project, prepared by the Public Works Department (PWD), had been submitted to the Finance Department seeking financial concurrence for accord of administrative approval under the NABARD Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF-XXXI).
However, the proposal was sent back with specific observations.
“The Finance Department has advised identification of a clear source of funding provision for the project other than NABARD and incorporation of furniture and furnishing items in the DPR,” the government said in a written reply to a query raised by MLA Anantnag East Riyaz Ahmad Khan.
The government said the revised financial implications are currently being worked out by the concerned PWD division.
The government informed the House that Rs 5 crore has been earmarked for the project under the CAPEX Budget for 2025–26.
It also plans to propose the hospital under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme in 2026–27 to fast-track the execution of what it termed a “big-ticket project.”
Earlier , responding to a separate question on relocation of the existing MCCH from the congested Sherbagh area, the government said land has already been identified within the premises of Mirza Afzal Beg Memorial Hospital (MAMB) Government Medical College GMC Janglatmandi, Anantnag, behind Block-A.
“The paediatric section of the hospital has, as of now, been shifted to Block-A of MAMB GMC, while gynaecology and obstetrics services continue to function from Sherbagh,” the reply said.
Both departments will be shifted to the new MCCH building once construction is completed, it added.
The MCCH at Sherbagh has repeatedly drawn public attention due to severe space constraints and safety concerns.
The building housing the hospital was declared unsafe by the PWD and Fire and Emergency Services as far back as 2014, but continues to remain in use.
Earlier plans to shift the facility to Rehmat-e-Alam Hospital at KP Road failed to materialize after IIT Jammu and NIT Srinagar declared the structure unsafe. The expert institutions had recommended retrofitting only the ground and first floors of the building, which was originally constructed by a trust in 2000.
Subsequently, the second and third floors and the terrace were constructed by the Housing and Urban Development Department, JKPCC and PWD at a cost of Rs 13 crore, but the structure was still found unsuitable for hospital operations.
The Rehmat I – Alam hospital has around 30 Kanals of land.
