SrinagarThe Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Friday said that it has been given to understand that Rs 24,00,000 have been spent on tenders for establishment of eye-bank in Jammu alone without any results.
As the hearing a Public Interest Litigation started before a division bench of Justices Alok Aradhe and B.S. Walia, senior additional advocate general H A Siddiqui submited that in pursuance of the NIT (notice inviting tenders), issued for setting up of the Eye Bank, no bids have been received so far.
He, however quickly added that one representation was received in which one bidder sought some clarification with regard to specification of the instruments to be set up in the Eye Bank. We are given to understand that the state government has spent approximately an amount of Rs.24,00,000 in the process of tendering without any result, the court observed.
In the fact situation of the case, the court direct the Commissioner Secretary to Government, Health and Medical Education Department to convene high-level meeting within one week and to explore the possibility whether the firm which had set up Eye Bank in GMC, Srinagar can set up the Eye Bank in GMC, Jammu. The PIL seeks establishing of the eye-bank and swine flu lab in Jammu.
At this stage, Navneet Dubey, counsel for the petitioner– Smile Social Youth Club of J and K submited that so far, one patient has died due to Swine Flu in Medical College and Hospital, Jammu and two patients were critical.
To Dubeys submission, senior AAG submited that in the meeting which shall be convened by the Commissioner Secretary appropriate decision shall be taken on urgent basis keeping in view the emergency which has arisen in view of the fact that Swine Flu was spreading in Jammu.
The court asked the senior AAG to file the status report with regard to meeting the next date of hearing which was posted in the week following next.
