HC seeks status report on clean water supply

Vijay Arora

Legal Correspondent

Shimla, April 1

The HP High Court today directed the Chief Secretary and other government functionaries to file fresh status report on the issue of supply of clean and safe water in the Shimla town and other parts of the state. In order to ensure that there is no recurrence of jaundice in the state, the court directed the state to inform it about the steps taken in this regard.

Taking a serious note of the issue of non-compliance of the order of the court, the division bench issued show cause to the Additional Chief Secretary (Education) asking why he has not filed affidavit in compliance with the order passed by the court. In its earlier order the court had directed him to provide safe and clean water to the schools and file affidavit in this regard.

The court has also expressed its displeasure on the working of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted for investigating the jaundice outbreak and observed that “the perusal of the status report filed by the SIT does disclose that the SIT is trying to conclude the investigation. It is not known whether they have been able to find out, prima facie, who are the officers/persons involved in the commission of the offences right from the year 2007.”

The bench further observed that the “SIT has also reported that some more deaths have taken place in Shimla, but has not furnished the details. The report is silent vis-a-vis the investigation carried out by them relating to district Solan.”

The court directed it to file details of the deaths due to jaundice and the status of the investigation in respect of district Solan. It cautioned the SIT that any deviation of the orders passed by it shall be viewed seriously.

It further directed all the District Magistrates and the Superintendents of Police to make the people in the remote areas aware of the jaundice outbreak and file fresh status report before it by the next date.