Remove encroachments near major hospitals: HC

LUCKNOW The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has directed the district magistrate, senior superintendent of police (Lucknow) and other authorities concerned

LUCKNOW The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has directed the district magistrate, senior superintendent of police (Lucknow) and other authorities concerned to take appropriate steps to comply with the earlier order to remove encroachments near major hospitals of the city and submit a report within two weeks.

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If this was not done, appropriate order will be issued for personal appearance of the home secretary of the state on December 6, the next date of listing the case, the court warned.

A division bench of justice Pankaj Kumar Jaiswal and justice Alok Mathur passed the order on Monday on a public interest litigation (PIL) raising the issue of encroachments on roadsides in front of hospitals.

On May 3, the court had directed the committee, constituted by the district magistrate, to remove encroachments near Balrampur Hospital, King George’s Medical University (KGMU) and the Civil Hospital so that movement of general traffic and ambulances remains smooth.

It had also asked the authorities to submit an action taken report.

Till Monday, neither the encroachments were removed at the places mentioned in the aforesaid order, as had been directed by the court nor the committee, which had been constituted, submitted its report, the court said.

“Therefore, we further direct the district magistrate concerned as well as all the members of the committee, including the senior superintendent of police (Lucknow) to take appropriate steps to comply with the earlier order of this court and submit its report by filing an affidavit of compliance within a period of two weeks from Tuesday, failing which, this court will pass appropriate orders for personal appearance of the home secretary, government of UP, at Lucknow, on the next date of listing,” it added.

Earlier, the petitioner had pointed out that there was traffic blockage due to encroachments near these hospitals. “Sometimes ambulances with patients, even after reaching near the hospitals, cannot take the patients into the hospitals in time due to the encroachments,” he had stated. - MANOJ KUMAR SINGH