Patna, May 31: A few doctors are allegedly running multi-storeyed nursing homes in the plots allotted to them by Bihar State Housing Board for residential purpose.
Taking note of this, the housing board has recently served notices to many of the occupants. According to departmental sources, around 110 plots sprawling over more than 300 cottahs in Lohia Nagar were allotted in different phases to doctors in 1981.
Plots of four cottah and 2.5 cottah in Doctors’ Co-operative Colony were distributed to beneficiaries on various terms and conditions, most important being that a private clinic can be operated on the ground floor and the first floor should be utilised for residential purpose. Such arrangement is termed as commercial-cum-residential plots.
Housing board sources said recently it was brought to the notice of the board that many of the occupants are violating that norm and running multi-storeyed nursing homes on their premises.
Consequently, the board served notices to around 20 members of Doctors’ Co- operative Society in mid-April for violation of Section 78 of Bihar State Housing Board Act, 1982 related to violation of utilisation norms of housing board land.
“The matter of commercial utilisation of residential and residential-cum-commercial plots in Doctors’ Co-operative Colony in Lohia Nagar is being looked at and we have also served notices to those who have been alleged of violating housing board norms,†said a senior official of Bihar State Housing Board.
He added: “Besides, we are looking after the revenue aspect in case of flouting of such norms. Further, various norms of Housing Board Act are being studied in present day context. For instance, the definition of “clinic†in the act would be studied in relation to prevailing practices. All such matters would finally be put in front of the board and consequently actions would be taken by it.â€
According to the sources, a reputed heart hospital near Rajendra Nagar flyover, neighbouring Doctors’ Co-operative Colony is running on a residential plot belonging to the housing board.
However, housing board sources clarified that this plot does not come under Doctors’ Co-operative Colony.
Residents on the other hand, seem to have adjusted with the upsurge of medical facilities in their neighbourhood. “It is good that we have so many nursing homes in the vicinity. We do not need to go to distant places for diagnosis. Besides, there is enough space in the area and the vicinity never looks congested,†said A. Bhanti, a homemaker in Kankerbagh Housing Society.