Allahabad High Court: In a public interest litigation concerning the decision by the Central Government for establishing new AIIMS in Uttar Pradesh, the division bench of Manoj Kumar Gupta and Manish Kumar Nigam, JJ. directed the State Government to place on record its view that why an AIIMS like institute would not be necessary to be established in Prayagraj, as is the prayer made in the instant petition.
The Court noted that in the last ten years, the population in the region has increased substantially, resulting in acute pressure on the existing medical infrastructure.
The Court further identified that by a previous order, the authorities were directed to assess the ground realities prevailing now, to objectively examine whether establishment of new AIIMS like institute is necessitated. However, no such assessment has been made so far.
The Union Government sought time to enable the respondents to assess the ground realities and file an affidavit clarifying their stand in the matter.
Thus, the Court directed the State Government to provide reasons why establishing an AIIMS-like institute in Prayagraj, as requested in the current PIL, may not be necessary. The matter will next be taken up on 18-09-2024.
[Sahaj-Sarathi Foundation v. Union of India, 2024 SCC OnLine All 5888, Decided on 18-09-2024]
