Mid-day Impact: Aarey dairy punished, asked to submit plan for improving hospital

The crumbling façade of the hospital at Aarey Milk Colony. Pic/Nimesh Dave

The animal husbandry and dairy development department's failure to submit a comprehensive plan regarding Aarey Hospital has invited the wrath of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC). On October 18, mid-day highlighted how there was only one doctor for the population of one lakh within Aarey Milk Colony.

On October 21, the commission issued directives to the department to deposit Rs 50,000 in the chief minister's relief fund within four weeks for failing to submit its plans for improving health services and facilities at Aarey Hospital. The directives were issued while hearing a case pertaining to a 2022 mid-day report which highlighted the dire state of Aarey Hospital. The SHRC had taken a suo motu cognisance of the 2022 report and sought details from the department to improve services at the health facility.

On October 21, the hearing took place before SHRC Chairperson Justice K K Tated and member M A Sayeed. Advocate Poonam Tiwari, legal officer, Aarey, Goregaon; Santosh Nikade, senior assistant, Aarey; advocate Rupali Adhate, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, were present during the hearing.

Papers of the proceedings related to the case state, "Advocate Poonam Tiwari for respondent number 4 [the department] again seeks time to submit a comprehensive affidavit in reply despite reasonable opportunity since March 17, 2024. It can be seen that liberal adjournment came to be granted by the commission, on the prayer and assurance of Tiwari for respondent no. 4, but today also adjournment is sought on the same ground that the proposal is in the process, and that too without placing affidavit on record (sic)."

The papers also state that if the respondent no. 4 failed to submit the affidavit then a cost of Rs 50,000 would be imposed on it. "Since, no compliance by filing affidavit is made till date, respondent no. 4 to deposit cost of Rs 5,0000 within two weeks failing which the collector, Mumbai, is directed to recover the cost as fine amount under the provisions of Maharashtra Land Revenue Code and Sec. 471 of Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023," the papers read.

According to the documents, the complaint was initiated on the strength of the 2022 mid-day report highlighting the pathetic, neglected condition of the Aarey Hospital, which resulted in members of the tribal community being left without any medical facility since the OPD was being run by only one doctor.

What documents state

"From the statements made in these affidavits made by the corporation, it transpired that the entire management and control of the Aarey Hospital is taken over by respondent no. 4… It is rather surprising to note that though a period of more than one year passed since, submissions at bar were made by the advocate for respondent corporațion and thereafter, since summons were issued to respondent no. 4, its advocate, Tiwari, went on seeking adjournments on the ground that modalities of taking over of the possession were in progress but obviously, the exercise seems to be, proceeding at snail's pace with no positive response from respondent no. 4. Therefore, in such a backdrop that commission was constrained to impose the cost, as mentioned above, but again same prayer for adjournment is moved, which deserves to be deprecated strongly (sic)."

The SHRC in its order stated, "Animal husbandry and dairy development department to deposit cost of Rs 50,000 within four weeks from today in Chief Minister's Relief Fund and report compliance on or before the next date of hearing." The next hearing is scheduled to take place on November 26 at 11 am.