The Supreme Court of India.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned National Task Force' slow pace of work. The apex court had set up the task force to suggest measures for protection of medical fraternity, following the August 9 incident of rape and murder of a PG medical doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
The top court also took a dig at the West Bengal government's scheme of hiring civic volunteers for law and order duties and deploying them at schools and hospitals, saying, "It is a nice process of conferring political patronage on unverified persons."
Examining a suo motu matter registered the Kolkata incident, the bench asked, "Why the National Task Force only met on September 9 and not later."
The bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Union government, “Between September 5 and today, what has happened? After September 9, what has the task force done? No meeting after September 9…why no progress between September 9 and today?”
The court said the NTF should hold more frequent meetings and must expedite the work.
Mehta said the work assigned to the National Task Force is herculean. He said they have collected data from hospitals across the country. Over 1700 suggestions were received on improving work conditions, enhancing safety of doctors and improving infrastructure in hospitals.
“1700 suggestions and inputs have been received so far. Out of which approximately 37 associations and 1500 individuals, including hospitals, have submitted their inputs….total responses are 7688 and 4990 from state governments, and 2436 from the private sector…..whatever task force does now, it will be a long lasting solution,” Mehta submitted.
On August 20, the apex court, flagging the ground reality regarding the lack of institutional safety standards in health care establishments, had directed for constitution of a nine-member national task force (NTF) to formulate effective recommendations to remedy the issues of concern pertaining to safety, working conditions and well-being of medical professionals.
During the hearing in the suo motu matter, the bench SC directed the West Bengal government to provide details of recruitment process of civic volunteers, one of whom is prime accused in R G Kar hospital rape-murder incident.
The court asked the West Bengal government to file an affidavit in three weeks in this regard.
The court also asked the state government, which is recruiting over 1,500 civic volunteers for its 'Ratire Sathi' scheme, not to post these persons in hospitals and schools till further orders.
The bench sought to know the details of the legal scheme behind recruitment of civic volunteers, modalities of recruitment, antecedent verification and the institutions where they would be recruited.
The West Bengal government represented by senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Rakesh Dwivedi claimed the civic volunteers are not doing police duties.
However, the counsel for the other parties countered the submission.
Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for the parents of the deceased doctor told SC that the civic volunteer who allegedly committed the offence was attached with police deployed at RG Kar hospital and was staying in police barracks, nearby.
Earlier Mehta shared the status report of the CBI probe, contending that a charge sheet has been filed on October 7 against accused Sanjay Roy.
He also said the CBI is looking into allegations of financial irregularities separately.
The agency is in direct touch with the parents of the deceased and they are being updated on progress of the probe, he said.