HC flays Maharashtra over poor condition of mental hospital

NAGPUR: Expressing anguish over Maharashtra government's failure to upgrade the mental hospital here, the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court has asked it to file a detailed affidavit within two weeks. A division bench comprising justices Bhushan Dharmadhikari and Arun Chaudhari was hearing public interest litigation (PIL) filed by social worker Umesh Choube through his counsel Srikant Khandalkar.
Earlier, the central government had said that they had upgraded the two hospitals in the western region in Ahmadabad and Pune with an investment of Rs 30 crore. When the judges asked them as to why Nagpur hospital was not considered, assistant solicitor general SK Mishra, appearing for the Centre, replied that the state had failed to submit an upgradation proposal in this regard.
Khandalkar contended that the city-based hospital presents a sorry state of affairs as it lacked equipment and also staff for managing it, due to the state's lethargy. He added that this was severely affecting the patients who came far and wide from neighbouring states like Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. He also demanded a high-level enquiry for state's failure to send proposal for upgradation.
(With inputs from Saylee Vijaykar)