Naina Mishra
Chandigarh, September 16
The sole chemist who had been running the shop on the GMSH-16 premises for the past 29 years has been found to have illegally extended the unit by merging the adjacent passage and thereby doubling its size.
The Director Health and Family Welfare has served a show-cause notice on “Chemist Shop No. 6” at the Government Multi-Speciality Hospital, Sector-16 for termination of lease deed over violation of terms and conditions. The chemist has been given 10 days to explain why action should not be initiated against him for the gross violation.
“By illegal permanent merger of the adjacent passage with your allotted shop, you have not only caused inconvenience to patients, attendants and general public, but it has also resulted in your unjust enrichment. You are paying rent for the allotted space only while using the space of adjacent passage also illegally without any additional cost,” read the notice.
“In gross violation of the terms and conditions of the lease deed, the sole chemist will be liable for termination of the lease deed with immediate effect, recovery of damage charges for the additional space occupied by way of permanent nature of encroachment and removal of the permanent nature of encroachment and bringing the shop in its original condition at the risk and cost of the chemist,” it said.
The earlier approved layout plan had consisted of a “footpath passage”, adjacent to the existing chemist shop at the GMSH-16 that led to the parking area. However, upon inspection, such passage was not observed as shown in the former drawings provided by the Chief Architect.
Inspection has revealed the size of the shop as per the drawings was 151.87 sq ft but the present size of the chemist shop was 329.16 sq ft.
The load-bearing partition wall between the shop and passage has been found dismantled and the adjacent passage connecting to the parking area on the rear side encroached upon and included in the shop and thereby enlarging the size of the shop.
UT Health Secretary Yashpal Garg said: “By removing the load-bearing wall to illegally extend the shop, the whole structure might have been exposed to structural safety issues, which may result in a major mishap and cause loss of life and property.”
Garg has ordered an immediate action against the lessee for “permanent illegal extension” of shop. The damage charges for the illegally extended area will also be recovered from the lessee.
He has further ordered identification of the officers responsible for not taking action against illegal extension.
