Gadhanpara Rural Hospital in Raninagar, Murshidabad district, is facing serious accusations of electricity theft. It is alleged that power is being stolen in broad daylight by hooking up to open wires, a revelation that has caused a stir in the area. Hospital administration, however, claims to be unaware of any such activity.
The allegations surfaced on Tuesday when an exposed electrical wire was reportedly seen connected to the hospital premises, raising immediate concerns about illegal power consumption. This method of "hooking" to draw electricity is a common form of theft.
Dr. Shamim Akhtar, BMOH of Raninagar (2) Block, stated, "Only an electrician can explain this. I don't know. We don't even know where the hooking was done. We are investigating the matter." His statement suggests a lack of oversight or knowledge regarding the hospital's electrical connections.
The hospital is located next to the Raninagar police station. It serves as a primary healthcare provider for a vast area, including various parts of Raninagar, Nabipur, Katlamari, Hurshi, Amirabad, and surrounding villages, making the allegations particularly concerning for public services.
On Tuesday afternoon, upon entering the hospital premises, a toilet was observed on the road in front of the emergency department. Next to it, two wires were seen connected to an open electrical wire, which then led back into the hospital building. Crucial questions remain unanswered: Why was that wire connected? What was being powered by the electricity drawn from it? And was the hospital indeed running various electrical appliances using stolen electricity?
Hospital management could not provide clear answers to these pressing questions. Dipankar Biswas, Divisional Manager of the Domkal Sub-division Electricity Department, commented, "The hospital has a government connection. If something like this has happened, we will investigate the matter and take action." Subhankar Bala, SDO of Domkal, added, "We were not aware of the matter. We will investigate it and take action."