Botched eye surgery: MP govt announces pension, high-level

Madhya Pradesh government will provide a lifetime monthly pension of Rs 5,000 to those people who have lost vision in one of their eyes due to the botched cataract surgery, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told the Legislative Assembly here today.
Chouhan also constituted a high-level panel to probe the incident, which he termed as a "blot" on the face of state government.
The announcement was made by Chouhan while replying to an adjournment motion moved by Ramniwas Rawat and other members of the Congress on the issue.
Over 40 people lost vision in one of their eyes due to a botched cataract surgery conducted at a government camp in Barwani district last month.

The Congress has sought resignation of Health Minister Narottam Mishra who also holds portfolio of Parliamentary Affairs.
Chouhan, who turned up in the House when the Congress members had refused to listen to Mishra's reply and boycotted the proceedings, said his government will take care to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future.

"The opposition has not shown any patience on the issue. It could have been better if our friends from the opposition would remain in this House which is a temple of democracy to listen to their charges.
"The incident was a blot on the face of the state and we took it as a lesson. We will ensure that such incidents will not recur in future," he said.

Chouhan said that besides getting the monthly pension of Rs 5,000 for lifetime, the affected persons will also get an assistance of Rs 2 lakh as announced earlier.
He said free treatment will be provided to them to cure their affected eye and also another eye which is also affected with cataract and blurred their vision.
Chouhan also announced setting up a high-level panel which will be headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Finance), to probe the incident. Other members of the panel are the Dean, Government MGM Medical College, Indore and an expert from AIIMS Bhopal.
"The committee will submit its report within a month's time and based on its recommendations, action will be taken against those responsible for the incident including the drug suppliers. Nobody will be spared," he added.

Before Chouhan came to the Assembly, Congress member
Rawat, along with former Leader of Opposition, Ajay Singh, senior Congress MLAs, Mukesh Nayak and Bala Bachchan among others pressed for Mishra's resignation on the issue.
They alleged that a fungal-infected drug was used for conducting the surgery and that large-scale corruption had taken place in its purchase.
The Congress members boycotted the proceedings of House when they found that Mishra was replying on the issue instead of Chouhan as demanded by them.
When they insisted that they will listen only to the Chief Minister and inquired about his absence from the Assembly on the issue, Mishra told them that he will come.

"..But as a Minister, I am also supposed to give the reply to the opposition's baseless charges on the issue," he said.
When the Congress members failed to get any confirmed response from treasury benches on timing of the CM coming to the House, they refused to listen to Mishra's reply and walked out of the House.
Strongly opposing their conduct, Rural Development Minister, Gopal Bhargava and Transport Minister, Bhupendra Singh condemned the Congress members for their "undemocratic behaviour".
Bhargava requested Speaker Sitasharan Sharma to make a guideline that if the opposition moves an adjournment motion on any issue, they must remain present in the House to listen to the reply.

However, the Speaker ruled that he cannot compel anyone to listen to the replies in such matters and it is better if the matter is leaved at their "discretion."
Later resuming his reply, Mishra asked the Congress members, especially Ajay Singh whether his father and former chief minister (late) Arjun Singh had resigned after the Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984 which claimed thousands of lives.
As Chouhan arrived in the House while Mishra was replying, the latter said only the CM will now reply on the issue.