KOCHI: Former MP and CPM district secretary P. Rajeev on Thursday demanded that the construction of the Kochi cancer centre be entrusted with the central government-owned Hospital Service Consultancy Corporation (HSCC) and said that the moves to implement it in the annuity mode was childish and unacceptable.
Addressing a press conference, he said that the delay in starting the construction of the cancer centre a year after laying the foundation stone showed utter disrespect to the late Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer who fought a valiant battle to realise the dream.
“A year after laying the stone, the government is not yet clear who should be entrusted with the construction work,” Rajeev said.
He also said that the cancer centre project is the only project in the history of the state, the stone for which was laid without getting administrative sanction, initiating tender proceedings and also giving budgetary provision.
“There were initially discussions for setting up a cancer centre of international standards, but later that died down. HSCC was asked to prepare the DPR after a hue and cry was made but the organisation that has expertise in implementing such projects was avoided in executing the project later. The state government failed to secure even Rs 45 crore granted by former central health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad for the project,” Rajeev said.
