Thane civic official sent on compulsory leave for protecting encroachments

Thane Municipal Corporation. File Photo

A senior employee of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) in Maharashtra has been sent on compulsory leave for allegedly failing to act on unauthorised construction, an official said on Sunday, reported news agency PTI.

The action against Assistant Municipal Commissioner Subodh Thanekar came after a probe found that he protected encroachments in Kalwa area despite several complaints by citizens as well as MLAs, the official said, reported PTI.

Insubordination was attributed to sending Thanekar on compulsory leave, the official added, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, more than four months after 18 patients died in 24 hours at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Maharashtra's Thane, the city's civic administration has suspended two doctors for dereliction of duty, an official said on Sunday, reported PTI.

Thane is the home turf of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and the large number of patient deaths on August 12 and 13 at the civic-run facility had prompted the opposition to target the government, alleging mismanagement, reported PTI.

According to a spokesperson of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), an assistant doctor and an associate doctor have been suspended for dereliction of duty in connection with the single-day deaths, reported PTI.

Amid political bickering over the deaths, CM Shinde had ordered the constitution of a high-level committee to probe the matter. The committee's report was tabled during the recent winter session of the assembly, said an official, reported PTI.

A source in TMC said that show-cause notices have been issued to a few doctors and senior management personnel in connection with the patient deaths on August 12-13, reported PTI.

Earlier, officials had said that some of the patients arrived at the Kalwa hospital in a critical stage and they succumbed during treatment. Some were elderly, they had said, reported PTI.

Former Thane mayor Naresh Mhakse, who is also spokesperson of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, had said that the hospital was "over loaded" and was treating 650 patients per day against a capacity of 500 at the time, reported PTI.

However, NCP leader and MLA from the region Jitendra Awhad had alleged that the hospital was mismanaged and asked the administration to set things right before it was too late, reported PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)