Assam: Hush-hush opening of Lalmati Model Hospital sparks anger

A CORRESPONDENT

BOKO: Residents of Lalmati, a border village along the Assam-Meghalaya border in the Boko Chaygaon LAC of Kamrup district, erupted in anger on Thursday after the sudden opening of the long completed Lalmati 30 bedded Model Hospital. Construction of the facility began around 2019 and, according to villagers, was finished 3-4 years ago but remained unopened for reasons unknown.

Local leaders and villagers gathered at the hospital when officials moved to open it without prior notice. A heated exchange followed between community representatives and Health Department staff. Villagers said that they were not informed about the inauguration despite donating the land for the hospital.

Kanak Deka, an engineer with the Kamrup district Health Department, told those present that local participation was not necessary for the opening and rebuked villagers and journalists who had come to the site. The engineer's remarks further inflamed tensions and left many residents stunned.

Villagers raised serious concerns about the quality of construction. They alleged that several walls and floors had already developed cracks and that the contractor was conspicuously absent from the inauguration. Locals claimed that, ahead of the opening, dilapidated walls, floors, and posts had been hastily patched and repainted to give the appearance of a newly finished facility.

While the community said that it had no objection to the hospital being opened, residents demanded to know why they were excluded from the ceremony and why the inauguration was handled in secrecy. The mood remained tense until Additional Commissioner Manika Borgohain Deka arrived at the hospital at around 1 pm and met the local representatives. She assured villagers that the district administration would formally inaugurate the hospital with their cooperation.

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