Mumbai: Election officials bought 1,300 wheelchairs for voting day; now they are lying unused at JJ Hospital

Old Boys Hostel inside JJ hospital campus where the wheelchairs are kept

Call it a sheer waste of public money or lack of proper planning - over 1,300 brand new foldable wheelchairs are lying unused in the main hall of the old boys' hostel, within the State-run Grant Medical College and JJ Group of hospitals, and it has become a talking point inside the campus. Interestingly, each chair is valued at around Rs 8,000, which includes GST and other taxes and was procured through a government tendering process.

That evening

Trucks laden with thousands of wheelchairs arrived at Grant Medical College campus, on November 22, two days after the Assembly elections got over and they were offloaded at the old boy's hostel, within the campus. Sources from the campus, said, "Such large quantity of wheelchairs were never ever brought inside their campus before, and on inquiry, they were informed that the wheelchairs were used for the state Assembly elections for Mumbai City and it was procured in the name of Grant Medical College and JJ Group of hospitals by the District Election office, and therefore it was getting offloaded in JJ campus."

A tender was issued for 1,338 wheelchairs. Representation pic

Could have rather hired

A doctor, who was earlier attached to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), overseeing procurements of medicine and drugs said, "Usually a day or two before the polling, we would make temporary arrangements of wheelchairs borrowing them from the nearby civic-run or state-run hospitals, dispensaries, primary health centre, even private hospitals and clinics including clubs like Rotary and Lions and would return them after the polling. It is unheard of procuring such a large quantity of wheelchairs for a single election, an unwanted expenditure."

2,538 polling booths

Shyamsunder Survase, deputy district election officer for Mumbai City said, "We had difficulties in getting wheelchairs arranged for polling stations during the Lok Sabha elections and it had also caused inconvenience to senior citizens and disabled at some polling centres and therefore it was decided to procure the wheelchairs for the state Assembly election. As per our records Mumbai City (Colaba-Sion-Mahim) was divided into 671 polling locations, consisting of 2,538 polling booths and 6,300 disabled registered voters. As we had planned for a minimum of two-wheel chairs for each location, we could cater to the needs of all those who required wheelchair assistance on November 20 on election day."

Followed due process

G B Supekar, district planning officer, Mumbai City, said, "We followed due process of tendering by calling in for bids on GeM (government tender portal) for the supply of 1,338 foldable wheelchairs for the elections and got the same delivered to us between November 15 to 17. These were deployed at the polling centres between November 18 and 19 and after the election on November 20, the wheelchairs were collected from all centres and then sent to Grant Medical College. The Dean of JJ Group of hospitals has to decide as to how she wants to use them."

Dean speaks

Dr Pallavi Saple, Dean, Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of hospitals said, "We were asked to provide specifications for the foldable wheelchairs, which was done by our internal Central Purchase Committee. Since the procurement is done by the District Planning Office, Mumbai City, the payment for the same would be done by them."

Dr Saple added, "Most of the centres under our umbrella hospitals - JJ, St Georges, GT, Cama and Albes, Palghar Rural Centre and Bandra Urban Centre, would be getting few wheelchairs as per the requirements and we have been also asked to provide some wheelchairs to Podar Ayurveda hospital in Worli and St Georges Dental hospital, too."

Watchdog reacts

Nitai Mehta, managing trustee at Praja Foundation, said, "There is no check and balance on using public money under the gambit of election expenditure. It would be worth monitoring if the same wheelchairs are put in use for the upcoming BMC elections or fresh wheelchairs will be further procured. It is something that people should keep a watch on."

At Cama and Albless hospital, Medical Superintendent Dr Tushar Palve, said, "Our hospital has thirteen wheelchairs for our patients and an additional three wheelchairs, if we get one, it would suffice our requirement of sixteen wheelchairs."