THANE, Oct. 31 -- BJP MLA Sanjay Kelkar has accused the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) of deceiving citizens by inaugurating Urban Health and Wellness Centres (UHWCs) across the city without deploying doctors or paramedical staff. He alleged that the newly launched facilities, branded as Aarogya Mandirs, remain shut and non-functional despite civic claims that medical services have begun. The civic body had announced on Monday that it had opened 43 UHWCs under the Central government's National Urban Health Mission (NUHM), days after facing criticism for abruptly halting its Aapla Dawakhana clinics. However, Kelkar said his recent visits to several centres in Thane East, including those at Mith Bandar Road, Dhobi Ghat, and Bara Bangla, revealed that the facilities were closed. "The centres were locked, the electricity supply was disconnected, and the surroundings were filthy. Inauguration ribbons were still hanging at the entrances," he said, adding that the situation mocked citizens' health needs. On Thursday, Kelkar inspected another UHWC at Kolshet Upper Village and found it too non-operational. He noted that another Aarogya Mandir was functioning barely 100 metres away, calling it a sign of "poor planning and duplication of effort" by the TMC's health department. "The TMC claims to have operationalised these centres, but on the ground, they are shut. The civic body is receiving state funds to run them yet provides no services. This is a clear case of misleading people and cheating taxpayers," Kelkar said, warning of a public agitation if the facilities do not start functioning soon. The corporation had paid the firm Rs.150 per patient, about Rs.1 crore a month. From December 2020 to November 2024, TMC had paid Rs.29.10 crore to the firm for treating over 19 lakh patients. But in August, MedOnGo abruptly shut all clinics, reportedly without paying staff salaries or rent, leaving several employees jobless. The TMC later imposed a penalty of Rs.56 lakh on the company for dereliction of service. Following staff protests and intervention by Kelkar, the TMC announced on Monday that it would clear pending dues using Rs.2.89 crore from the bank guarantee submitted by the firm. At a press briefing, deputy municipal commissioner (Health) Umesh Birari confirmed the decision, saying it was taken "on humanitarian grounds" even though the employees were not on TMC's payroll. He added that while Aapla Dawakhana was funded by civic resources, the new Aarogya Mandir initiative draws financial support from the Central and state governments. When contacted, TMC health officer Dr Prasad Patil did not respond to calls or messages....