Aurangabad, June 11 :
Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice S D Kulkarni of the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court on Friday said that the superspeciality hospitals should be set up in every district of the state from the reserve fund of 25 percent of the profits of government employees co-operative credit societies. The bench also directed the principal secretary, public health and finance department to submit a detailed affidavit within four weeks.
The bench, in response to a petition seeking to start covid hospitals in every district in the current covid pandemic, has passed the order as above. The next hearing of the petition will be held in 4 weeks. An affidavit was filed by the district registrar on behalf of the commissioner of co-operation on Friday as per an earlier order of the bench. There are about 7,000 co-operative credit societies of such government employees in the state, he informed through an affidavit. According to the petition, the co-operative societies which have made a profit as per the Maharashtra State Co-operative Credit Societies Act. It is mandatory for them to deposit 25 percent of the profits with the District Central Co-operative Bank or State Co-operative Bank as a reserve fund. There are 5548 co-operative credit societies of government employees in the state. It is claimed in the petition that there is a reserve fund of about Rs 4,000 to 5,000 crore in such co-operative credit societies across the state. Adv Siddheshwar Thombre represented the petitioners and public prosecutor Dnyaneshwar Kale for the government.
Will save money
Adv Thombre pointed out to the bench that the members of the credit unions are government employees. Government employees seek treatment in private hospitals. The treatment cost has to be returned by the government. This cost will be saved if the hospital established with the reserve fund provides free treatment to them and at a discounted rate to other citizens. The government should set up an apex body for the management of the hospital. Immediate policy in this regard should be decided.