Taking a serious note of the failure of the authorities to start functioning of a trauma centre and blood bank in Bageshwar district headquarters, the high court of Uttarakhand has directed the officials of the State Health department to file an affidavit in the court regarding start of work by December 4. If the officials fail to file the said affidavit, orders will be issued to withhold the the salary of the health secretary and other senior officials concerned. The health secretary was also directed to remain present in person in the court on the next date by the high court division bench of justice Rajiv Sharma and justice Alok Singh.
According to the case details, during November 2016, while hearing on a public interest litigation regarding the setting up of a trauma centre and blood bank at the Bageshwar district headquarters, the high court had directed that the the operation of the trauma centre and blood bank should be started in four weeks. The PIL filed by the Bageshwar Nagrik Manch in April 2016 had stated that though construction of the trauma centre and blood bank building had been completed earlier at a cost of `87 lakh, the facility was lying unused.
On Tuesday, the petitioner made a submission to the division bench, informing that despite the orders of the court, no progress had been made in the case during the period of about one year with the authorities failing to start operation of the trauma centre and blood bank.
After hearing the submission, the division bench expressed dissatisfaction and ordered the health secretary to remain present in the court in person on the next date.