Hooghly, 06 August (H.S.): A fact-finding committee has been constituted to investigate allegations of financial irregularities and administrative lapses at Mankundu Mental Hospital, which was later renamed “Ananda Ashram.” Several complaints regarding alleged mismanagement and irregularities at the institution have come to the fore.

Located on the western side of the Howrah–Bandel railway line, Mankundu Mental Hospital was established in 1939 by renowned physician Harnath Basu on around 22 bighas of land. The hospital was set up to provide treatment to mentally ill patients.

At one point, the hospital was on the verge of closure, with only outpatient services functioning. Later, with government assistance, the old infrastructure was renovated and new facilities were developed. A three-storey building with 60 beds was also constructed. Former MLA Indranil Sen had reportedly contributed ₹40 lakh from his MLA fund for the development of the hospital.

The hospital, managed by a trust, is located near Kha Road in Ward No. 1 of Bhadreswar Municipality. In 2011, the Bhadreswar Municipality took over its management.

Recently, concerns were raised over the functioning of the hospital, including alleged financial irregularities and delays in salary payments. Health workers claimed that they have not received their salaries for the past three months.

On Thursday, Chandannagar MLA Dipanjan Guha visited the hospital along with the administrator of Bhadreswar Municipality and the Chandannagar Sub-Divisional Officer to review the situation .

Among the allegations raised are claims that more than 100 shops have been constructed on hospital land. It has been alleged that money was collected from people for allotment of shops, but several individuals are yet to receive possession. Some residents claimed to have paid amounts ranging from ₹80,000 to ₹2 lakh but did not get the promised shops.

Complaints have also been raised regarding the use of the hospital premises, including issues related to a pond, trees, bicycle stand and other infrastructure facilities.

MLA Dipanjan Guha said it was a matter of concern that the country’s second-oldest mental hospital lacked basic facilities such as drinking water. He said steps were being taken to examine alleged institutional irregularities and that priority would be given to resolving the salary issues of employees.

He added that arrangements would be made for power backup, CCTV cameras and purified drinking water at the hospital. An audit of all appointments and income-expenditure records since 2022 will also be conducted. Steps are being taken to ensure that the hospital’s licence is not affected, he said.

The Chandannagar Sub-Divisional Officer said that ensuring uninterrupted treatment for the patients admitted at the hospital is the administration’s primary responsibility. He said the fact-finding committee would examine allegations, including unauthorised constructions and violations of rules, and submit its report.

Nursing staff member Krishna Chakraborty said that employees have not received salaries since May and that the shortage of healthcare workers, especially GNM nursing staff, has created difficulties.

Local residents, including Kapil Dev Sharma, Lakshmi Dule, Sushil Kundu and Arvind Dule, alleged that they had paid money for shop allotments but did not receive the shops.

The administration said further action will be taken after the fact-finding committee completes its investigation and determines whether rules were violated and where corrective measures are required.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey