Court pulls up High Powered Committee

Shillong, Aug 18: The Meghalaya High Court pulled up the High Powered Committee (HPC) constituted by the Governor to deal with the deficiencies of healthcare services in Meghalaya for not convening any meeting for more than four months.

The said Committee held its last meeting on 28th March and, thereafter, not a single meeting has been convened.

“Despite our repeated querying, as to why the meetings of the said High Power Committee were not at all held for more than four and a half months, the learned Government Attorney could only repeat the prayer that the respondents may be given a chance to rectify and they will hold the meeting at the earliest,” the high court said earlier this week.

During the hearing, the high court changed the composition of this committee with Chief Secretary Y Tsering as its Chairman, while Additiol Chief Secretary of Health & Family Welfare shall continue as a member. The high court also directed the Chief Secretary to conduct a specific enquiry as regards the persons responsible for not holding the meetings of the committee for more than four-and-a-half months and to take appropriate action in that regard.

“We would expect the Committee to hold regular meetings, at least once a week, unless otherwise ordered by this Court. It would be expected of the Committee to attend on all the deficiencies in Health Care Services in the State as indicated in its earlier meetings and as also pointed out by the Amicus Curiae,” the high court said. The high court said that it expected the committee to bring about concrete results at the earliest and in any case, within four weeks from the date of the order.