SC transfers plea on bridge collapse incidents in Bihar to Patna HC
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday transferred to the Patna High Court a PIL that raised concerns about the safety and longevity of bridges in Bihar after several of them collapsed in recent months.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said the Patna High Court may monitor, preferably on a monthly basis, the steps taken to ensure structural and safety audits of bridges in the state.
The bench asked PIL petitioner and lawyer Brajesh Singh, state authorities and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to appear before the high court on May 14 when the future hearing date will be fixed there.
In a brief hearing, the state government said it has inspected around 10,000 bridges in the state.
“We have gone through the counter (affidavit). We are transferring the case to Patna (High Court). In the counter affidavit, they (state authorities) have given details of what they are doing…,” the bench said.
On November 18 last year, the top court had granted the last opportunity to the Bihar government and others to file its response to the PIL on the issue.
Prior to this, petitioner Singh had moved the court seeking its nod to bring on record various news reports and additional documents to highlight the dilapidated condition of bridges in Bihar.
The court on July 29, 2024 had sought responses from the Bihar government and others, including the NHAI on the plea.
The PIL sought directions for a structural audit and setting up of an expert panel to identify bridges that can be either strengthened or demolished based on its findings.
Besides the state and the NHAI, the top court in July last year had also issued notices to the road construction department's additional chief secretary, Bihar Rajya Pul Nirman Nigam Limited chairperson and rural works department's additional chief secretary.
Ten incidents of bridge collapse have been reported in Bihar's Siwan, Saran, Madhubani, Araria, East Champaran and Kishanganj districts from May to July last year. Many claimed that heavy rainfall might have led to the incidents.
The PIL raised concerns about the safety and longevity of the bridges in the state that usually witnesses heavy rains and floods during the Monsoon.
Besides setting up a high-level expert panel, it also sought real-time monitoring of the bridges as per the parameters laid by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The petitioner highlighted that Bihar is the most flood-prone state in India. The total flood-affected area in the state is 68,800 square km which is 73.06 per cent of its total geographical area, he mentioned.
"Hence, such routine accrual of the incident of falling bridges in Bihar is more disastrous as the lives of people at large is at stake. Therefore, the urgent intervention of this court is required to save the lives of people, as the under-construction bridges before its (their) accomplishment collapsed routinely," the plea read.
In view of the bridge collapse incidents, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has directed the road construction and rural works departments to conduct a survey of all old bridges in the state and identify those in need of immediate repair.
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Woman's death: Under fire Pune-based Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital announces 'no deposit' policy
Pune (PTI) The Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Maharashtra's Pune city, under fire for allegedly turning away a pregnant woman over non-payment of Rs 10 lakh as advance for treatment, on Saturday announced it would no longer be taking deposits from patients at the emergency department.
The woman, wife of the personal secretary of BJP MLC Amit Gorkhe, had to be shifted to another hospital where she died after delivering twins. The incident hit national headlines and evoked strong condemnation from leaders cutting across party lines as well as protests from citizens' groups.
In an open letter, the hospital's medical director Dr Dhananjay Kelkar said, "In the early years of Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, we never took a deposit. But as the number of critical cases increased and the cost of complex treatments rose, the hospital began taking deposits in certain high-cost cases."
"However, in light of yesterday's events, we have re-evaluated this practice and passed a resolution that the hospital will no longer take any deposit from patients entering through the Emergency Department, including emergency deliveries and paediatric emergencies. This will be implemented with immediate effect," Dr Kelkar said in the letter.
ALSO READ: Woman died post delivery after Pune hospital refused admission over Rs 10 lakh deposit
He defended the hospital by reiterating that he had personally told the woman's kin to pay as per their ability and also offered all help, but they left with the patient without informing anyone.
While it is factually incorrect and unfair to hold the hospital directly responsible for the incident and the unfortunate death, the hospital is still investigating whether it showed adequate sensitivity towards the patient, Dr Kelkar added.
"I had myself told the woman's relatives to pay whatever amount they could as a deposit and assured them of complete support. However, they left the hospital with the patient without informing anyone," he stated.
Alluding to the protests at the hospital by various political parties on Friday, Dr Kelkar termed it as a "black day".
Without any regard for the hospital's legacy and services, a group participating in the morcha (protest) threw coins at the public relations officer, while some women activists allegedly barged into a hospital run by the parents of Dr. Sushrut Ghaisas and vandalized it.
Dr Ghaisas has been accused by the kin of the deceased woman seeking the deposit ahead of admission.
"Our heads hung in shame when some protestors blackened the names of Lata Mangeshkar and Deenanath Mangeshkar, all of this taking place in front of media cameras," Dr Kelkar said.
An internal inquiry report of the Mangeshkar Hospital had claimed on Friday that the allegations of denial of admission for non-payment of Rs 10 lakh were "misleading" and made "out of frustration" by her family.
The woman's pregnancy was in the high-risk category, and her two underweight foetuses of seven months, coupled with a history of an old ailment, required Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) treatment for at least two months, it said.
The treatment required Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh and the family was advised that in case of lack of funds, they could admit the patient to the government-run Sassoon General Hospital for a complicated surgery, it added.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced the formation of an inquiry panel under the Pune-based Joint Commissioner of Charity to look into the incident.
