42 hospitals get MC notices for violating bylaws

The municipal corporation (MC) has issued notices to 42 hospitals for violating building bylaws and not making arrangements for parking of vehicles. The civic body has given these hospitals three months to ensure they conform to the bylaws.

In August, the Punjab and Haryana high court had ordered the MC to follow the directions issued by the local bodies department director in case of violation of building bylaws by the city hospitals.

A city based resident, Rohit Sabharwal, had moved the high court as many city hospitals had been violating building bylaws and not making parking arrangements. He had claimed that the vehicles were parked outside the hospitals, which caused inconvenience to commuters.

Assistant town planner SS Bindra said, “MC found violation of building bylaws at 42 hospitals during the survey. We have given three months to these hospitals to arrange space for parking and also correct the violations. We will conduct another survey after three months to check compliance.”

The MC had also found during the survey that some hospitals were running laboratories or other centres in the basement, which was otherwise reserved for parking.

A doctor, requesting anonymity, said, “I admit that the hospital should ensure compliance of building bylaws, but what about the violations at thousands of other buildings in the city. Only the hospitals are being targeted, while other commercial buildings are being spared. MC should not follow pick and choose policy.”