HC Takes DC Report as Taken-Up PIL, Issues Notices to Govt on Nizamia Hostel Issue

HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday took up a Deccan Chronicle news report exposing unhygienic conditions at the girls hostel of the Nizamia General Hospital as a public interest litigation (PIL) and directed the state government to explain why the situation was so.

The report, ‘Nizamia students put up in decrepit hostel’ published on August 29, highlighted the state of the girls’ hostel at Nizamia General Hospital where the students lived in pitiable conditions, with no proper sanitation. The rooms were ill-maintained and crowded. The report also stated that the maternity ward was in a dilapidated condition.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar issued notice to the Chief Secretary, principal secretary, medical, the commissioner of health, the director of medical education and the Superintendent of the Nizamia General Hospital, Hyderabad, seeking their response within four weeks.

However, the court adjourned the hearing to six weeks.

The PIL Committee of the Telangana High Court found that the pathetic conditions at the girls hostel was a fit case to be taken up as a PIL . The Committee recommended the same to the Chief Justice to take further action.

Chief Justice Aradhe directed the Registry to consider the matter as a taken-up PIL and to list it for hearing by making the authorities concerned as respondents.

Following the directions of the court, the medical and health department and its officials were made respondents and the case was listed before the Chief Justice Bench for hearing.