Ensure funds to combat Dengue are utilised properly: Delhi HC to govt

Delhi High Court today directed AAP government to "supervise and ensure" that the grant-in-aid given to the municipal corporations to combat diseases like dengue is properly utilised.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath also directed all concerned departments and civic agencies of Delhi government to cooperate with each other to "prevent and control" such vector-borne diseases.

The directions were issued by the bench while disposing of a petition of Congress leader Ajay Maken who had contended that failure and delay in controlling the disease has caused much damage to public life and health in Delhi.

The court, while issuing the directions, said other grievances raised in the plea have already been addressed.

Maken in his plea had prayed for a direction to all public and private hospitals not to refuse treatment to any patient on account of monetary conditions or any such reason. He had also sought that in case of any misconduct by a hospital, heavy penalty be imposed by the court.

The court on September 29 had said it will issue immediate directions to control the outbreak of dengue in the city.

The court has kept two similar PILs pending, including one seeking direction to lodge an FIR against directors of hospitals which denied treatment to a seven-year-old boy who died of dengue and whose parents subsequently committed suicide.

The plea seeking lodging of FIR was filed by law student Gauri Grover contending that the boy died due to the callous attitude of hospitals.

Another plea, filed by advocate Arpit Bhargava, has sought directions to the city government to take steps to combat dengue, claiming that funds were released by it only after 23 people, including children, had died.

Earlier, the Delhi government had informed the court that it has released the second instalment of the grant-in-aid under the Dengue and Malaria Control Programme, subject to certain conditions, to all the Municipal Corporations here.

Advocates Aman Panwar and Mudit Gupta, representing Maken, had told the court that "it was extremely unfortunate" that Delhi government had released funds only after several casualties were reported and this court had intervened. They had said the funds should have been released much earlier, that is before the monsoon season.