Road outside Fortis Hospital ‘encroached’

While the hospital has claimed that it had barricaded the road on the asking of the local police,the latter has categorically denied either asking or permitting the hospital to do so,which the police officials also termed as “totally wrong and illegal”.

Interestingly,the barricades put up by the hospital bear the name of Mohali Police,which gives an impression that if the barricades were erected by the local police. While “Fortis Hospital” has been written on top of the barricades,followed by,“No Parking. Tow Away Zone. Emergency 0172-4692200”,“Mohali Police” has been written in the bottom that also in a smaller font.

Around 500-metre stretch of road on front side of the hospital has been virtually cordoned off,depriving it from the use of commuters. The barricades,which remain erected all the time,pose a great hardship to commuters and during peak hours in the morning and evening,this disruption at times even leads to minor accidents.

In a representation to the SSP,with its copies to Municipal Council president and Executive Officer,councillor Bedi wrote,“In blatant violation of the norms,Fortis Hospital management has encroached upon the road by putting up barricades,which disrupt the vehicular traffic.”

“This encroachment is not only similar to that made by vendors on roadsides and shopkeepers in verandahs but more blatant as it has blocked major portion of the main road,” further wrote Bedi,while accusing the MC and police authorities of not acting against the “influential” hospital management. He demanded that the barricades should be immediately impounded and the hospital management should be fined.

When contacted,hospital director Col HS Chehal said,“Barricades were put up by us two years ago on the asking of a local police official,who had expressed inability to provide barricades to stop wrong parking on the road”. Refuting the charge of encroachment,he claimed that since the blocked area was of no use to the hospital,there was no point in making any such alleged encroachment.

On the other hand,DSP (City-II) Swarandeep Singh,who the hospital claimed had asked to erect barricades,categorically denied giving any such permission. “It is totally wrong and illegal. We are also fed up with it. Since the road belongs to the MC,it could only remove the barricades or we can act if MC asks us to do so,” DSP said.

MC president Rajinder Rana said if the road fell under MC jurisdiction,he will definitely ask the enforcement staff to remove the so-called encroachment.