Gujarat Govt Orders Police Action Over ₹50 Lakh Bill for Unbuilt Water Tank at Palitana Hospital

August 19, 2026
Gujarat Saurastra

Gandhinagar: Gujarat Health Minister Praful Pansheriya has ordered police action after a ₹50.43 lakh bill was allegedly submitted and approved for a 2.55-lakh-litre underground water tank at Palitana Hospital despite the tank not being constructed at the site.

The issue came to light during the minister’s recent visit to the hospital, when he found that the approved underground water tank was missing. Despite the work not being completed, a bill of ₹50.43 lakh had reportedly been submitted to the head office for approval.

Following the review, Pansheriya held a video conference with officials of Palitana Hospital and the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and reviewed the matter.

The minister directed officials to file a police complaint against Mehul Dave, In-charge Executive Engineer, and N.V. Kalia, Deputy Executive Engineer, for their alleged role in submitting the bill. Both the officers have been suspended from their posts.

He also ordered the PIU to initiate the process of blacklisting Dharmanandan Construction, Surat, the contractor involved in the work, and take disciplinary action against the two engineers for alleged negligence in their duties.

Pansheriya said the government would not tolerate negligence, malpractice or irregularities in the use of public funds allocated for health services.

The Health Department said it would continue to monitor government health infrastructure projects to ensure that approved works are completed on site as per prescribed quality and technical standards and that public funds are used responsibly. DeshGujarat

#Palitana #Praful Pansheriya

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