ISLAMABAD - Around three formidable judgements of courts against violations in use of parkland have been hampering the city mangers to make headway on the issue of allotment of one-thirds of land of Argentina Park for expansion of Polyclinic Hospital.
In its latest correspondence with the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development, the civic agency has passed up the request of allotment of Park’s land citing judgements of courts, including the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in various cases, where courts ruled that under the settled laws no permission could be granted for using the allocated land for other purposes.
However, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has suggested three alternate places for the construction of additional blocks of Polyclinic Hospital other than Argentina Park.
Additional land for the expansion of Polyclinic Hospital has been offered in Sector G-10, or Sector I-8. While the Authority has also offered that Ministry that it could expand the facility by incorporating the adjacent doctors/nurses hostel into the main hospital building. For nurses hostel, the civic agency has suggested it would provide alternate land at some other place.
The city managers have cited F-9 Park case heard by a bench headed of Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Sector G-13 case and other relevant cases.
Recently a two-member Supreme Court bench had dismissed a plea filed by the Federal Government Housing Foundation (FGEHF) against a decision of the Lahore High Court s Rawalpindi bench over conversion of about 150 utility plots in Sector G-13 of the federal capital.
The bench comprising Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani and Justice Nasirul Mulk had upheld the high court s decision against carving of about 150 plots out of specific land allocated for construction of schools, playgrounds and public parks.
On October 14, 2009, the Ministry of Health, which was devolved after the passage of 18th Constitutional Amendment, had formally requested CDA for the allotment of 2.54 acres of land of Argentina Park for the expansion of Polyclinic Hospital.
As per PC-I, approved at the start of year 2012, of the expansion plan, new block comprising of five-storey structure with additional 1,110 beds are supposed to be constructed on 2.54 acres of park’s land. The estimated cost of the project is stated around Rs10 billion.
Premier Raja Pervaiz Ashraf during his visit to the Hospital in September 2012 had directed the Ministry of Capital Administration to pursue at earliest the matter of allotment of land with CDA.
The Ministry conveyed the same to CDA, but after three months CDA excused after stating adverse impacts of any such practice and suggested alternate places for the purpose.
The CDA had also sought around Rs 51.5 million at the rate of Rs 4500 per square yard against Argentina Park land from Ministry of CAD, but it never released to the Authority.
Argentinean mission to Pakistan is also taking keen interest in the project. It has also extended its help on behalf of Argentinean government for the project.
Argentinean Ambassador Rodolfo Jose Martin-Saravia was recently quoted as saying by a section of media, “I am quite hopeful that the day is not far when the groundbreaking for Argentina Block (that is supposed to be construct on park’s land) will be performed. My hope is based on the words of Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, who assured me in a recent meeting of the early start of work on Polyclinic expansion.”
The 550-bed Polyclinic Hospital currently covers an area of 3.3 acres of land. The hospital was established back in 1966 with an aim to provide health facilities to the federal government employees.