100 hearse vans bought for ₹35 crore gathering dust for over three months

In what reflects poorly on the management of public health infrastructure, as many as 100 hearse vans purchased for around ₹35 crore during the tenure of former health minister Tanaji Sawant have been lying unused for over three months near Dr Naidu Hospital in Pune. The hearse vans – which began arriving since January 2025 for the purpose of distribution among municipal- corporations and councils across Maharashtra – have been gathering dust with many of them now sporting deflated tyres and dead batteries among others.

Dr. Vaijanath Galande, deputy director of health service, (Transport), said all the hearse vans can be distributed across the state.

“We are likely to get the details about the allocation and distribution of these vehicles in a couple of days. Accordingly, they will be distributed across the state. However, I cannot comment on the delay in allocation of the vehicles.”

All the hearse vans are air-conditioned, and each has cost approximately ₹36 lakh. The purchase was approved in phases—25 vans arrived in the first phase in January this year; another 25 arrived in the second phase; whereas the remaining 50 arrived in February.

Despite the passage of time, not a single hearse van has been allocated to any department or municipality leaving the intended purpose unfulfilled. What’s more, many of these hearse vans now have punctured tyres and some are on the verge of becoming non-functional.

To the extent that the matter has now sparked debate around why these vans were procured in the first place. All eyes are now on health minister Prakash Abitkar as citizens await a decision on the future of these vehicles. Sunil Jangale, a health activist, said, “The money spent on these hearse vans is public money so what is the use if they are lying idle for months. Our demand is that these vans be immediately distributed across the state.”