Pune, 16 July 2025: The 'Aapla Davakhana' scheme, aimed at providing free healthcare facilities to residents of slum areas and urban settlements, has come to a standstill even before its full implementation. The initiative, introduced under the National Urban Health Mission, was intended to establish 58 primary health clinics across Pune.
However, in the past two years, only 11 clinics have become operational, with the rest stuck on paper due to disagreements between the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the state government.
The key point of contention has been the location of these clinics. While the state government had agreed to provide a grant of ₹1 lakh for each centre, the issue arose over the ownership of the proposed clinic sites. Out of the 58 proposed centres, 25 were to be located on land owned by the PMC, while 33 were planned on rented premises.
The then municipal commissioner had proposed setting up clinics only on PMC-owned properties. This proposal was rejected by the state government, leaving the scheme in limbo.
Currently, only 11 clinics are operational. Among them, the lone clinic managed by the PMC is located in Wagholi. The remaining ten, located in Dhanori, Khandvenagar, Kalwad Road, Tingrenagar, Swargate, Gujar-Nimbalkar Wadi, Tadivala Road, Keshavnagar, Uttamnagar, and Wagholi-Lohegaon Road, are under state administration.
Officials said that the municipal commissioner is expected to convene a meeting with the relevant departments next week to address pending issues. The meeting will likely focus on finalizing the clinic locations, planning the necessary facilities, and deciding how the funds will be utilized. Until then, the future of the remaining centres remains uncertain.
