The DMK-led Dravidian Model government is facing serious scrutiny following allegations from whistleblowers who have exposed major discrepancies in the handling of a Central Government project at the ESI Hospital in KK Nagar, Chennai. The hospital, selected for a 500-bed expansion, requires an Environmental Clearance (EC) certificate from the state government to begin construction. However, the process appears to have been handled with alarming negligence.
According to a whistleblower, when the government uploaded the required building master plan on 8 November 2023, the document was essentially a blank A4 sheet with a barely visible miniature image—raising serious concerns about procedural integrity.
Even more startling, over a year and a half later, on 12 June 2025, an entirely unrelated map from the Devanagonthi area in Bangalore was uploaded in place of the original hospital site responding to Essential Details Sought (EDS) prompting outrage and suspicion.
Essential Details Sought (EDS) for environmental clearance in India typically include comprehensive project information, an overview of the existing environmental conditions, potential environmental impacts, proposed mitigation strategies, and a detailed Environmental Management Plan. These components enable regulatory authorities to evaluate the environmental implications of a project and ensure necessary protective measures are implemented.
However, in this case, residential plot details from a Bangalore apartment project were uploaded under the proposed ESI hospital project, resulting in significant delays in the clearance process.
These revelations, supported by official documents, have sparked strong criticism from activists and policy watchers. Critics argue that while the DMK government fast-tracked clearances for a convention centre named after former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi—slated for construction near the Muttukadu coastline—basic clearances for a critical healthcare facility have been stalled.
The convention centre project, complete with full approvals by early January 2025 and ready for construction shortly after, moved with remarkable speed. This raises the pressing question, if such efficiency can be shown for a beachside convention hall, why is a hospital expansion being treated with such indifference?
Furthermore, the Karunanidhi convention centre located in a coastal area would have required multiple environmental and regulatory reports, including marine ecology studies, CRZ maps, disaster management assessments, and coastal zone compliance. Yet, not even a fraction of that diligence seems to have been applied to securing environmental clearance for a hospital meant to serve the public.
The contrast between the two projects has intensified public criticism, with many questioning the DMK government’s priorities and commitment to healthcare infrastructure.
கவர்மெண்டா நடத்துறேங்க ?
மத்திய அரசின் ESI அரசு மருத்துவமனை , KK நகர் சென்னையில் 500 பெட் விரிவாக்கம் செய்ய இடம் தேர்வாகி அதில் கட்டிடம் கட்ட அனுமதி கொடுக்க Environmental Clearance (EC) சான்றிதழ் ஏற்பாடு செய்ய வேண்டிய திமுக அரசு 08/11/2023 கட்டிடத்திற்கான மாஸ்டர் பிளான் Empty… pic.twitter.com/abNDFw2n9G
— Maridhas (@MaridhasAnswers) June 19, 2025
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