Covid hospital in Baner has power bill dues over Rs40 lakh; MSEDCL gears up to disconnect the power

Pune; March 20, 2021: A Pune Municipal Corporation constructed make-shift Covid-19 hospital in Baner was in news for the wrong reasons. The hospital has failed to pay the power bills amounting to Rs40 lakh. Meanwhile, PMC has said that the electricity meter at the hospital is in the name of a private owner.

While the hospital administration claimed that it has paid the bill when the employees of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) went there to disconnect the power supply on Friday night. The hospital which has been erected to treat the Covid-19 patients has over 245 patients under treatment. However, the patients and their relatives were confused when they saw a uproar in the hospital on Friday.

PMC constructed this hospital with the help from CSR funds of the companies last year when Covid pandemic was at its peak. It has the capacity to treat over 300 patients. Currently, with the rising number of patients in the city, PMC decided to shift few of its patients here. A private agency is running the hospital.

MSEDCL employees went here on Friday claiming that the hospital has failed to pay the dues. They even geared up to disconnect the electricity supply. However, hospital administration spoke with the senior officers at MSEDCL which averted the action.

When asked PMC about it, it failed to give satisfactory answers.