The DHS department has asked for details of an ambulance lying scrapped in one of the village panchayats of Valpoi. Under MPLAD scheme, Ravi Naik purchased many such Maruti vans as ambulances and distributed them to various panchayats. It was a good initiative to begin emergency response for transporting sick patients to the nearest hospital/health centre for treatment. But vehicles once handed over to the local body are utilised without much maintenance. After that, the cost of maintenance increases which the local body fails to meet. Finally the ambulance remains unrepaired and scrapped to the corner. The DoP, BDO, RTO and concerned authorities should formulate proper guidelines as to how and which department will authorise scrapping of such vehicles. The government should undertake a survey of all scrapped vehicles across departments/local bodies and once and for all declare and sell them off as scrap which would fetch some income to the local body/department.
Gregory E. D'souza, Siolim
