NEW DELHI: The
Supreme Court on Friday sought a
status report from the
Delhi government on progress in construction of a new
trauma centre in
Dwarka, for which the SC had asked Uphaar fire tragedy case convicts and
Sushil and Gopal Ansal to deposit Rs 60 crore almost five years ago.
While examining Delhi government's preparedness and lapses in the fight against Covid-19, a bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M R Shah told the state that Safdarjung Hospital's trauma centre, a dedicated Covid hospital, had done well in helping patients and wanted to know the status of the new trauma centre that was ordered to be constructed almost five years ago by the apex court.
Additional solicitor general Sanjay Jain, appearing for the Delhi government, appeared clueless and said he would seek instructions. Justice Kaul said, "Four-five years ago, the Supreme Court had directed setting up of a new trauma centre in Dwarka. The existing trauma centre has done well during the pandemic. What has happened to the new one? Money deposited with the Delhi government should not lie idle. If it is not utilised, then someone should be held accountable."
In 2014, the SC had given the option of depositing Rs 100 crore to the Ansal brothers to offset enhancement of their proposed imprisonment. In her 2014 judgment, Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra had ordered the Delhi government to earmark a location in Dwarka and allot five acres for construction of a trauma centre, to be treated as an extension of Safdarjung Hospital.
The SC had directed that it would be constructed by the Ansals under the supervision of a committee that would include representatives of the Association for Victims of
Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), Safdarjung Hospital medical superintendent, secretary general of SC and other experts and would be named ‘Victims of Uphaar Memorial Trauma Centre’. However, on the review plea of the Ansals, the SC in August 2015 reduced the fine amount to Rs 60 crore and said the money would be utilised for "setting up a new trauma centre or upgrading existing trauma centres of hospitals managed by the Delhi government”.