Vadodara Journalist Helpless in Gujarat — Scribe Fights Illegal VIO Hospital Construction Alone Since 2024, Faces Harassment as CMO Stays Silent

Vadodara: In Gujarat, the fraternity that is supposed to raise its voice against injustice often finds itself completely helpless when the fight turns against powerful politicians, police, and moneyed interests. The case of a local journalist battling the illegal construction of VIO Orthopedic Hospital in the densely populated Maruti Dham Society, Kartikeya Nagar, Saiyad Vasna Road , since July 2024, has once again exposed this bitter reality.

Saiyad Vasna Road’s Maruti Dham Society residents and lone journalist battle powerful hospital management; radiation threat and biomedical waste risks loom over dense colony while political influence shields violations

Despite informing the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) and even the Chief Minister’s Office in 2024, no concrete action has been taken. Instead, the journalist has faced alleged mental harassment, false complaints, and pressure tactics from hospital authorities — while the powerful hospital management continues construction with complete impunity.

 5-Storey Hospital Built Just 4 Feet from Homes — Clear Violations

Maruti Dham Society is a thickly populated residential area. Yet, the five-storey VIO Orthopedic Hospital has come up with barely four feet separating it from residential houses. 

As an orthopedic hospital, it will necessarily have X-ray and other radiation facilities. When the hospital becomes operational, these radiations will directly affect the health of residents — especially children and the elderly living in the immediate vicinity. Medical experts have repeatedly warned that prolonged exposure to such radiation can lead to serious health complications.

Adding to the danger is the complete absence of any proper bio-medical waste disposal system. Gujarat Town Development Corporation (GTDC) and VMC norms clearly mandate scientific disposal mechanisms for hospitals to prevent the spread of infections. Here, there is none. Residents fear that once the hospital starts functioning, infectious biomedical waste could easily contaminate the densely packed neighbourhood.

There is also no parking space — another blatant violation of corporation norms.

 Work Stopped for Just Two Days, Then Resumed Under Political Pressure

When construction began in May 2024, local residents and the journalist immediately alerted the VMC. An inspection was carried out and work was halted — but only for two days. Strong political connections of the hospital management ensured that construction resumed swiftly.

Since then, every time residents or the journalist have demanded to see the official permissions, hospital authorities have refused. Their standard reply: “Go to court. Do whatever you want. We will not stop.”

In the last few weeks, the hospital management even began illegal construction of a toilet and bathroom block in the backyard — again without any permission. When residents and the journalist protested, the hospital allegedly called the police and tried to portray them as troublemakers creating obstacles.

CMO Informed in 2024, But No Action Till Date

The journalist had submitted a detailed representation to the Chief Minister’s Office way back in 2024, highlighting all violations — lack of parking, absence of bio-medical waste disposal, radiation threat to residents, and the dangerously close proximity to homes. 

Till date, there has been no response and no action.

Meanwhile, the journalist continues to face harassment. False complaints, indirect threats, and constant mental pressure have become routine. Other media organisations and journalist bodies have remained largely silent — many believe because of the strong political and financial influence the hospital management wields.

A Dangerous Precedent

This is no longer just about one hospital or one residential society. It is about whether journalists in Gujarat can safely raise their voice against powerful interests without being left completely alone and vulnerable.

When a journalist who has been fighting since July 2024 — informing the civic body and even the CMO — receives only harassment in return while violations continue unchecked, it sends a chilling message: **In Gujarat today, the powerful can bulldoze rules, endanger public health, and silence dissent with impunity.

Residents of Maruti Dham Society and the lone journalist fighting this battle are now asking a simple but disturbing question:

If even journalists — the so-called fourth pillar — are left helpless when they raise their voice against injustice, then who will protect ordinary citizens?

The VIO Hospital matter has now become a test case — not just of municipal and GTDC norms, but of whether truth and public health still have any value against political clout and money power in Gujarat.