Sahyadri Hospital Trust denies land, building ownership transfer in reply to PMC

Hindustan Times

3 days ago

The Sahyadri Hospital at Deccan Gymkhana on Thursday submitted a detailed response to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), clarifying that there has been no transfer of ownership of the land or building to any private entity, including Manipal Hospitals or Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. According to the reply, the 1,976 square metre plot on which the hospital stands was leased by PMC to the Konkan Mitra Mandal Medical Trust in 1998. (HT)
The hospital's reply to PMC assistant health officer comes after a show-cause notice issued on July 16, following a complaint filed by advocate Sushrut Kamble. The notice had raised concerns about land ownership, hospital operations, and compliance with civic agreements.
According to the reply, the 1,976 square metre plot on which the hospital stands was leased by PMC to the Konkan Mitra Mandal Medical Trust in 1998. The trust continues to own the hospital building, while the land remains civic property. 'At no point was the ownership of either the land or the hospital building transferred to Everstone Capital, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, or Manipal Hospitals,' the reply stated.
In its submission, the trust reiterated that Sahyadri Hospital operates under a valid nursing home licence issued in its name since 2004, with approvals for all infrastructure and management changes granted by PMC. The current licence is valid till March 31, 2027, and the hospital has submitted the latest 2025–26 property tax receipt.
The hospital denied allegations of transfer of ownership or management rights to Manipal Hospitals or any other private party. 'The Konkan Mitra Mandal Trust continues to manage the hospital,' it said.
PMC's concerns were triggered after Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP), which had acquired a controlling stake in Sahyadri Hospitals from Everstone Capital in 2022, sold the chain to Temasek-backed Manipal Hospitals in a deal valued at around ₹6,400 crore.
Responding to questions about compliance with the PMC lease agreement, the hospital stated that it remains committed to providing free treatment under the mandated scheme. 'The trust is required to provide 50 free bed-days per year but has provided an average of 166 free bed-days annually over the past three years for PMC-referred patients,' said Mahesh Kulkarni, general secretary and treasurer, Konkan Mitra Mandal Medical Trust.
Dr Suryakant Devkar, assistant health chief, PMC, said, 'The health department's scope is limited to nursing home registration, the free bed scheme, and related matters. The hospital has submitted all relevant documents—including the lease agreement, tax receipts, licence copy, past notices, and treatment records—to support its claims. The trust has assured full cooperation.'
Timeline
2019: Everstone Capital acquires Sahyadri Hospitals from founder Dr Charudutt Apte for approximately ₹1,000 crore.
2022: Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) buys Sahyadri from Everstone for around ₹2,500 crore.
2025: OTPP sells Sahyadri Hospitals to Manipal Hospitals in a deal estimated at ₹6,400 crore.