A file picture of the cracks on Darjeeling Eden Hospital covered with tarpaulin

Darjeeling, June 23: The Darjeeling Municipality has decided to open a Chairman’s Relief Fund with contributions from residents for victims of natural calamities.

The chairman of the municipality, Pemba Tshering Ola, said government funds were often insufficient and civic representatives could do little other than offer solace at “times of distress”.

“This is why we want to introduce this fund,” he said.

The fund will be audited at the end of every financial year and the statements made public, especially to the donors.

“If the chief minister and others can have relief funds, we believe that we, too, should create a similar one. We will soon open a bank account and people will be encouraged to contribute so that we can compensate affected people,” said Ola.

Last year, the municipality had received Rs 50 lakh from the National Calamity Fund. “We soon realised that the amount was insufficient. During any major calamity, we usually end up spending Rs 20 to 30 lakh. Even though the district magistrate’s office compensates the victims, the sum is paltry and it takes about eight to nine months to get it sanctioned. With the relief fund, we will be able to act promptly,” the chairman said.

Last week, a number of patients were shifted after cracks developed on the walls of Darjeeling Eden Hospital. “The incident only made us realise the importance of such a fund,” he said.

Tshering Dorjee, the president of Darjeeling Environment Conservation Awareness Programme, an NGO popularly known as Morning Health Club, has filed an FIR against L.B. Subba, a contractor, who had renovated the hospital in 2003. The World Bank had given Rs 5 crore for the repairs.

“...it seems that the damage was caused because of the inferior and substandard quality of work executed by the agencies concerned including the contractor in whose name the work order had been issued,” the complaints reads.

Dorjee has also alleged that the work “has been executed in violation to the Municipality Act, rules by laws and other mandatory norms and guidelines……….it also seem that the majority of the funds were misappropriated and embezzled by the agencies for the construction”.

N.T. Shepa, the inspector in charge of Darjeeling Sadar police station, confirmed that he has received the complaint. It is learnt that the police are looking at the complaint seriously.