Chandigarh, December 25
Now, the UT Vigilance Department has been handed over the probe into the illegal occupation of the passage and doubling the size of the chemist shop at the GMSH-16 that had earlier been run by the same allottee for the past 29 years.
As the internal committee of the Health Department had pointed out that the former Director, Health Services, in connivance with the shop allottee, might have entered into a “conspiracy”, the Vigilance Department will also find out whether the charges can be framed against a former health official in the matter of illegal occupation of the passage.
The committee, after a thorough inquiry, had concluded that the present-day chemist shop had occupied more area than what was allotted in 1993, which was approved in the layout plan, and no document was available which indicated that the Health Department allowed or agreed at any stage to merge the adjoining passage into the chemist shop.
At present, the area occupied by the shop at booth No. 6, along with the passage, is 329.16 sq ft, whereas, as per the drawings, the original area was 151.87 sq ft.
The previous allottee had run the sole chemist shop at the GMSH-16 for 29 years without any tendering process. It had been given extension of licence from time to time.
Recently, the Director, Health and Family Welfare, had ordered for the vacation of the public passage and restoration of the load-bearing wall at the shop till December 25.
Last month, the UT Administration had terminated the lease of the chemist. The decision was taken on the basis of a show-cause notice issued to him on September 30.
Conspiracy angle
As the internal committee of the Health Department had pointed out that the former Director, Health Services, in connivance with the shop allottee, might have indulged in a “conspiracy”, the Vigilance Department will also find out whether charges can be framed against a former health official in the matter of illegal occupation of the passage.
