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Fed up with the non-implementation of court orders and insensitivity shown by the railways, the Bombay High Court on Thursday asked the general managers of both Western and Central railways to be present in court for the next hearing on a case, to be held after four weeks.
Observing that the railways have earned a profit of Rs 20,000 crore, the division bench of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice D Y Chandrachud said they can’t even spare Rs 20 lakh towards medical facilities for rail victims. The court also took note of a statement made by the medical officer of Kalyan railway station that the railway ambulances are not at all equipped.
The court was surprised to know that the administration of first aid for accident victims are carried out at the office of the station master. “So where does the station master sit?” the court asked.
Chief Justice Kumar asked the medical officer to describe the office of the station master in Kalyan, to which he replied that there was ample space for a stretcher in addition to the office furniture. Upon further quizzing, the court nailed the officer and remarked: “when you lie, lie properly.”
The court was further told that all stations have first aid boxes with 31 items in it, including a suction pump. As for ambulances, while Western Railway said they were equipped, Central Railway admitted that they were not at all equipped. The court also asked the chief medical officer of the railways to be present in court to specify what an ambulance should contain in accordance with the principles laid down by the Ministry of Health.
The court directed the counsel for petitioner, Jamshed Mistry and Pradip Havnur, as well as the two railway counsels to make surprise visits to small and big stations to verify the claims made by the railways on ambulances. The court said the case has been pending for so long and the railways have not even provided a well equipped ambulance so far.
“Now the railways claim to be making profit. Let them at least provide the basics,” Chief Justice Kumar stated.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Samir Zaveri who himself had lost his legs in a rail accident 20 years ago. Zaveri states how a passenger had taken him to a hospital as there was no help from the railways. Following the PIL, a committee was constituted in 2004 and it had given certain recommendations for upgrading the railway facilities.
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