6 years on, Fazilka cancer centre yet to begin operations

Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, July 27

The Fazilka Tertiary Cancer Care Centre (TCCC), whose construction began in 2016, has yet to start operating due to bureaucratic obstacles because officials concerned have allegedly been blaming each other for the project’s inordinate delay.

The Tribune came to know that the contractor had allegedly left the work incomplete in October, 2017. It remained suspended for about three-and-a-half years, being taken up again between March 5, 2021, and September 15, 2022. According to official sources, this joint venture between the Centre and the state government has cost Rs 12.34 crore thus far. When the foundation stone was being laid in 2016, it was announced the centre would open in two years.

Residents’ Woes

• The foundation of the project was laid in 2016 and the joint venture between the Centre and the state government has cost a total of Rs 12.34 crore thus far
• It has been two years since the construction of the centre was completed; however, it is yet to start functioning 

However, even after about two years of its construction being completed, the centre is yet to start functioning.

The sources said since the state government allegedly expressed its inability to run the TCCC for lack of medical officers and infrastructure, its reins were handed over to Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot. Dr Sumit Kataria, in-charge of the TCCC, on behalf of the BFUHS, said due to numerous discrepancies, the university took over its functioning partially in December 2023.

Presently, one of the major hurdles is stated to be non-allotment of a power connection. University officials had applied for a 722 kW power connection from Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, but the latter expressed its inability to grant it citing an overburdened power supply line. The university then applied for a 500 kW connection, the approval of which is awaited.

Iqbal Singh, SDO, Punjab Health Systems Corporation, said the discrepancies pointed out had been addressed and its possession would be handed over to the BFUHS in the first week of August. He, however, added that the final decision would be taken only after the power connection was secured.

Dr Sumit Kataria said the centre would start functioning after necessary medical equipment were installed, which would happen only after the BFUHS assumed complete possession. The sources said the equipment would cost around Rs 20 crore.

Due to this delay, hundreds of patients of the district have to visit Faridkot, Sangrur, Chandigarh PGI or Bikaner for treatment.

Former Health Minister Surjit Kumar, who laid the foundation stone, said first the Congress government and now the AAP had failed to complete the project on time because of the absence of concrete vision and desire for development.