The foundation stone of the hospital, which was laid on November 15, 2077, was stalled for a long time due to the lack of legal process on the land of the community forest. The foundation stone of the current one was laid again on Wednesday after the land dispute was resolved.
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The foundation stone of the under-construction municipal hospital building in Belka Municipality-6, Buddha Chowk, has been laid again after 6 years.
The hospital, which was laid by the then Mayor Durga Kumar Thapa on November 15, 2077, was stopped for a long time due to the lack of legal process on the land of the community forest. After the land dispute was resolved, the current Mayor Ashok Karki laid the foundation stone again on Wednesday.
The then government had laid the foundation stone of hospitals in 396 local levels across the country at once with the aim of expanding basic health services at all local levels. However, in Belka, a complaint was filed with the Forest and Soil Conservation Department against the chairman of Joginipakha Community Forest, Tej Kumar Magar, and the then Mayor Thapa, alleging that the hospital was being built on the land of the community forest without completing the legal process. Following the complaint, the department ordered an immediate halt to the construction of the hospital building.
The municipality has stated that it has completed the necessary legal process and brought three and a half bighas of land in the name of the basic municipal hospital. After that, Mayor Karki said that the formal foundation stone of the 10-bed hospital building was laid.
According to him, a construction agreement has been signed with KSM Services Pvt. Ltd. Kathmandu for Rs. 79.822 million on April 21, 2083. He said that the target is to complete the construction of the building within a year as per the agreement. ‘We have started the construction by fulfilling the necessary procedures and technical standards in continuous coordination with the Ministry of Health and Population,’ said Mayor Karki, ‘The work has progressed with the target of inauguration on April 30, 2084. Now the people of Belka will get easy, accessible and quality health services in their own place.’
Meanwhile, the then Mayor Thapa said that it was ridiculous to lay the foundation stone again now, saying that he had to face everything from opposition to lawsuits when he tried to build a hospital in his previous term. ‘When I tried to build a hospital during my tenure, he (Mayor Karki) not only opposed it, he even filed a case,’ Thapa said, ‘Now, when it is time to inaugurate it, the foundation stone has been laid again.’
Local Hirajang Rai, writing a status on social media, commented that it is sad to waste so many years on the foundation stone laying. He is of the opinion that the city residents should not oppose the issue of getting health services, but should cooperate in resolving legal and technical obstacles.
Due to the lack of easy and accessible health services in the city, the general public is forced to pay expensive fees for treatment in hospitals in cities including Dharan and Biratnagar. After the construction of the city hospital is completed, it is expected that the citizens of this area will get relief for basic treatment.
