Nazira residents oppose reported plan to merge historic health centre

NAZIRA, July 3, 2026 — Strong public opposition has emerged in Nazira following reports that the government is planning to merge the historic Nazira Subsidiary Health Centre with the Karmashree Hiteswar Saikia Civil Hospital at Ligiripukhuri, around five kilometres away. Residents have appealed to the Chief Minister and local MLA Mayur Borgohain to retain the health centre at its present location and upgrade it into a full-fledged healthcare facility.

Established in 1944 during the British era by the then Assam Tea Company, the health centre has served generations of residents from Nazira and neighbouring areas, including Simaluguri, Gargaon, Sunpura, Santok and Panibil. According to local residents, the centre continues to treat around 70 to 80 patients daily despite declining infrastructure and manpower.

Residents allege that the government has gradually reduced essential services over the years by failing to fill vacant posts. Although the centre has sanctioned strength of three doctors and 21 staff members, only two doctors are currently posted, with one reportedly attached to the Ligiripukhuri Civil Hospital, leaving the facility to function with a single doctor.

The proposed merger has sparked concern among residents, who say they have instead been demanding for years that the health centre be upgraded. They claim that memoranda submitted to the government seeking expansion of services have yielded no results.

Locals have also criticised the deteriorating condition of the facility, which they say gets submerged in knee-deep water during heavy rainfall. They have accused successive management committees of failing to address infrastructure problems or prevent encroachment on the hospital's land.

According to residents, a management committee formed in July 2022 under the chairmanship of Dr Ajay Lal Baruah did not take effective measures to improve the institution or protect its approximately 4 bighas, 3 kathas and 6 lochas of land from encroachment.

A 13-member Jan Arogya Samiti constituted on February 29, 2024, has also come under criticism. Locals allege that the committee was formed without a general meeting and initially excluded media representation despite government guidelines. They claim that a media representative was added only after local journalists filed an RTI application.

Financial records cited by residents indicate that between 2020 and March this year, the health centre received ₹10.46 lakh in untied funds, ₹1 lakh under the Kayakalp scheme and ₹9.48 lakh under NHM and NRCM. In addition, ₹4.7 lakh was collected through patient registration. While authorities reportedly state that these funds were used for maintenance and infrastructure, residents question the expenditure in view of the continuing poor condition of the facility.

Residents also pointed to the installation and subsequent removal of a submersible tube well from the hospital premises last month. According to them, officials informed them that the tube well was removed because preparations were underway for shifting the health centre.

People of Nazira have further expressed disappointment over what they describe as the silence of the present Jan Arogya Samiti on the proposed merger. Some committee members have reportedly asked the public to take up the issue themselves, drawing criticism from residents.

The people of Nazira and adjoining areas have now decided to submit an appeal to the Chief Minister and local MLA Mayur Borgohain, urging the government to abandon any proposal to shift or merge the health centre and instead strengthen it by upgrading services and filling vacant posts.