Sebaashray or ‘Medical College’? HC Wants Answers

What was launched as a healthcare outreach programme has now become the centre of a legal and political controversy. A structure built for Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee’s Sebaashray health camps in Falta has reached the Calcutta High Court, with questions being raised over its legality, its continued occupation of public space and the manner in which the construction was carried out.

The petition was filed by Falta resident Aminuddin Khan, who alleged that a large structure was erected on a playground near the Falta Block Development Office for the Sebaashray programme. According to the petitioner, the camp has since stopped functioning, but the structure continues to occupy the ground, depriving local residents and children of a space that was regularly used for sporting and community activities. The division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam allowed the petitioner to file the case, following which the matter came up for consideration before the court.

The controversy is particularly striking because of the appearance of the structure. Reports have described it as resembling a medical college building, with the words “Medical College Calcutta” displayed on the façade. Inside, the makeshift complex reportedly contains rooms arranged to resemble hospital departments, dispensaries and pharmacies. However, the facility is no longer operational and has been left largely deserted.

The Sebaashray initiative was launched by Abhishek Banerjee in January 2025 as a large-scale healthcare outreach programme across his Diamond Harbour constituency. The stated objective was to take medical services closer to residents through camps offering doctor consultations, diagnostic tests, medicines and, in some cases, assistance for major surgeries. The programme was subsequently expanded, with the TMC describing it as a model for community-based healthcare.

However, the Falta structure has raised a different set of questions: What was the legal basis for constructing it on the playground? Who authorised the construction? And why has the structure remained in place after the health camp ended?

The petitioner has alleged that the construction has effectively blocked the public from using the ground. Schoolchildren previously used the space for sporting competitions, while cricket and football matches, government programmes and other community events were also reportedly held there. With the structure still standing, these activities have allegedly been disrupted.

The cost of the construction has also become part of the controversy. The petitioner has claimed that around ₹5 crore was spent on three such constructions in the Falta area and has urged the court to order their demolition. Earlier reports had separately put the estimated cost of removing the Falta structure at around ₹24 lakh. These figures are allegations or estimates reported in connection with the dispute and are not, at this stage, a judicial finding of wrongdoing.

The legal challenge comes at a time when Sebaashray itself is facing mounting scrutiny. Several police complaints and FIRs have been registered in connection with allegations of irregularities and medical malpractice at the camps. Abhishek Banerjee has sought protection from coercive action in several of these cases and has argued that the cases against him are politically motivated. The Calcutta High Court has granted him interim protection in multiple proceedings while the legal process continues.

The allegations surrounding the healthcare camps include claims of improper treatment and irregularities involving medical equipment and medicines. In one case, a woman alleged that complications following treatment eventually resulted in the amputation of her leg. The allegations are currently part of an investigation and should not be treated as established facts unless proved through the legal process.

For Falta residents, however, the immediate issue is more tangible: a structure built for a healthcare programme is still occupying a public playground after the programme has ended. What began as a symbol of an ambitious healthcare initiative has consequently become a question of public land, administrative permission and accountability.

The High Court’s intervention has now put the spotlight on how the structure came into existence and whether its continued presence on the playground can be legally justified. As the proceedings move forward, the answers could determine not only the fate of the Falta structure but also raise wider questions about the use of public spaces for politically associated welfare initiatives.