Belagavi: A controversy over the proposed KIDWAI Cancer Hospital echoed in the Assembly, with MLA Abhay Patil strongly objecting to the relocation of the project from Vadagaon in South Belagavi to a site in the northern part of the city.
Patil recalled that the proposal to establish the cancer hospital in Belagavi was announced during the tenure of former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. Following this, officials had conducted surveys in Vadagaon—part of his constituency—and identified over four acres of land as suitable for the project. Multiple meetings and inspections had concluded that a minimum of four acres was essential for setting up the facility.
However, after the change in government, the project location was shifted to North Belagavi, where only around 1.4 acres has reportedly been earmarked. Patil questioned the rationale behind this move, highlighting the contradiction: “When officials themselves stated that at least four acres are required, how can the project be executed on just 1.4 acres? Why this discrimination?”
He further pointed out that the proposal had received Cabinet approval in 2022 for the Vadagaon site.
Minister of Medical education said the importance of infrastructure support, argued that a standalone cancer hospital with a ₹50 crore budget would struggle to function effectively without access to allied medical departments. He suggested that the facility should ideally be located within or near the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences campus to ensure access to necessary support systems. Referring to a potential site within the institute premises, he proposed utilizing about 1.4 acres of land currently occupied by an old hostel, which could be redeveloped for the hospital.
Minister of Medical education stressed that the issue is not political but one of public interest. “A cancer hospital cannot function in isolation. It requires the backing of multiple departments. If established within an institutional ecosystem, it will better serve the people of Belagavi district,” he asserted.