Delhi Notes

Disclosing this before a Division Bench, comprising acting Chief Justice Mahinder Narain and Justice S.K. Mahajan, Delhi Government’s counsel Sanjay Poddar said there was a dispute going on between the government and Apollo as the hospital, despite an agreement, was not willing to provide free medical services to poor patients.

The government counsel contended that Apollo was provided land on subsidised rates only on the condition that it would treat the poor free of cost and would also keep a certain number of the beds for them.He, however, said the government was trying to settle the dispute and was hopeful that a solution would be agreed upon soon.

As nobody from Apollo was present in the court to inform the Bench about its view in this regard, the Bench issued fresh notice to the hospital authorities, asking them to be present on the next date of hearing.

The Bench was hearing a public interest petition filed by the All India lawyers Union (Delhi unit) alleging non-implementation of the agreement. The petitioner also sought a direction to the city government and Apollo hospital to reserve 30 per cent of the beds for poor patients, to be treated free.

The Bench asked the city government to file a reply in this regard by the next date of hearing on January 22.

Show-cause notice to MCD on student’s death

The Delhi High Court today issued a show-cause notice to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on a petition seeking judicial probe into the death of a child studying in an MCD-run school.

On December 27, the Class VII student died wile crossing the road to drink water as there was no provision for water inside the school compound. The court direction came in the wake of submission of some photographs by the petitionerthrowing light on the deplorable condition of the school.

Acting Chief Justice Mahinder Narain and Justice S.K. Mahajan issued notice to the Delhi Government, the Lieutenant-Governor and the Commissioner of Police returnable within 10 days.

The bench was hearing a public interest litigation filed by the All India Lawyers Union (Delhi unit) through counsel Ashok Aggarwal which alleged that MCD schools in the Capital lacked drinking water facility, proper sanitation and had shabby buildings.

Aggarwal submitted that due to the lack of drinking water, the child was crushed under a four-wheeler.Seeking penal action against the headmaster of the school and the commissioner of MCD for the death of the boy, Aggarwal also sought a direction to the authorities for safety measures — construction of boundary wall for the school, traffic lights and speed breakers – for the safety of students. The matter would come up for hearing on January 27.

After perusing the photographs, the bench observed: “If this was a class room, it is deplorable. The situation can’t be worse than this.”Aggarwal said the school had dirty class rooms, broken walls and filth all around.

“When money was being spent on construction of the schools, why can’t they be maintained?” the bench asked. Seeking an inquiry into the death of the child so that the condition of the schools could come to the fore, the petitioner’s counsel contended that there were no taps in the toilets and the students were being forced to study in such a situation. No steps was being taken by the MCD to improve the condition there, counsel said.