Maharashtra declares CJI BR Gavai as Permanent State Guest, issues protocol guidelines
Mumbai: Amid backlash over an alleged protocol lapse during the felicitation of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Gavai, the Maharashtra government has officially declared the CJI a Permanent State Guest. The decision comes with updated protocol guidelines to ensure proper decorum during future visits of the country's top judge.
Under this status, the Chief Justice will now be entitled to all facilities listed under the Maharashtra State Guest Rules, 2004, including accommodation, transport, and security across the state during official visits. The announcement follows criticism from opposition leaders who slammed the state government for the absence of top officials during CJI Gavai’s recent felicitation event in Mumbai.
According to the protocol circular, formal reception and farewell procedures will be overseen by the State Protocol Subdivision in Mumbai and the respective District Collectors elsewhere. In the financial capital, either the Chief Secretary or a senior representative, along with the Director General of Police or equivalent, must be present to receive the CJI. In other districts, the responsibility will rest with the District Collector and the local police leadership.
Furthermore, as per the General Administration Department’s directive dated March 7, 2022, liaison officers will be appointed to coordinate arrangements. In Mumbai, this task falls to the Law and Judiciary Department, while in other districts, local courts will consult with the Collector’s office to designate a Group-A level officer.
The government has instructed all departments to ensure strict compliance with the revised guidelines to uphold the dignity of the judiciary.
The move comes in response to comments made by CJI Gavai during a Sunday event organised by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa. He expressed disappointment over the absence of key state functionaries, stating, “If the Chief Secretary, DGP or Mumbai Police Commissioner do not feel it necessary to come, it is for them to think about.”
Opposition leaders including Congress' Nana Patole and UBT's Ambadas Danve criticized the lapse, alleging it was a deliberate insult to the CJI, who hails from Maharashtra and is known for his Ambedkarite ideology.
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Fire erupts at private hospital in Mumbai; none hurt
Mumbai (PTI): A fire broke out at a private hospital in Mumbai's Grant Road area on Monday afternoon, prompting temporary evacuation of around 250 people, including patients, doctors and other staffers, officials said.
"No one was injured in the incident," a civic official said, adding the cause of the fire was not yet known.
The fire started in the CT-MRI scan unit of Bhatia Hospital at 1.35 pm, the official said.
As per the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB), the blaze was confined to electrical wiring and installations in the CT-MRI unit of the private medical facility.
As a precautionary measure, around 250 people, including patients, doctors and other staffers, were temporarily evacuated from the hospital premises, he added.
The blaze was extinguished by 3 pm, the official stated.
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An MFB officer said at least eight fire engines, other vehicles and equipment were rushed to the spot to put out the blaze.
He told PTI that the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) where newborn babies are kept in case they face breathing or any other health problems, was located exactly above the fire-affected CT-MRI unit.
The officer further said though the situation was tense, the hospital administration and MFB acted swiftly and ensured safety of babies, other patients as well as staff of the medical facility.
As per the officer, MFB personnel carefully used forced ventilation system fitted in their fire fighting vehicles to blow out the smoke from the CT-MRI unit to ensure babies being treated in the ward remain safe.
As a precautionary measure, the personnel did 'stage shifting ' or temporary transfer of babies from one ward to another to protect them from smoke or fire, he explained.
"If the smoke had increased, the children would have been affected. So, we simultaneously shifted them to another ward instead of acting at the last moment. We did their stage evacuation for safety reasons," the officer maintained.
Within 10-15 minutes of the outbreak, the MFB personnel controlled the fire and avoided further evacuation, he stated.
According to the officer, MFB suspects the fire was of "electric origin", but the exact cause was under investigation.
Notably, electric origin fires are caused on account of short circuit, overheating, overloading, use of non-standard appliances, illegal tapping of wires and improper wiring, among others.
