Allocated in 2005, Rs 85 lakh meant for the Waste management of the valley's biggest maternity hospital, Lal Ded, is stuck in the Government Medical College's (GMC) J&K bank account.

"The money was provided to the hospital to buy shredders, incinerator and other equipment to dispose off the waste generated in the hospital. But the money has not been utilized till date," said a senior faculty member of the GMC.

Five years ago, GMC had received Rs 43 lakh in cash from the Central government under the National Programme for Blindness Control, a project to prevent the population, especially children, from blindness. The money is also rotting in the bank and earning handsome interest but the administration is not interested in utilizing it.

"The central government had asked the authorities to spend the money and furnish a Utilization Certificate so that more money could be provided. But the money was not spent," the faculty member said.

Last year, sources said, Lal Ded hospital was provided another Rs seven lakh to buy an Ultrasound machine. The machine, however, wasn't purchased. "Our hospitals have an acute shortage of testing machines and when you ask the administration why the machines are no there, they say there are no funds. But they didn't buy the Ultrasound machine even when money was given to them," the faculty member said. "The seven Lakh rupees have lapsed".

The Medical Superintendent of Lal Ded hospital, Dr Shahida Mir, said that the money for waste management could not be utilized because the hospital doesn't have enough land to set up the machines. "We had floated a tender for setting up an incinerator. The company asked for five kanals of land for setting up the incinerator. We don't have the land," Dr Mir said.

... contd.