Building violation by hospital: SC directs TN govt to respond

New Delhi:The Supreme Court Thursday directed the Tamil Nadu government to file its response to a plea filed by Chennai-based private Billroth Hospital to use certain floors for treating COVID-19 patients.
A vacation bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and Hima Kohli asked the state government to submit its stand on the issue within two weeks.

“Let response be filed by the State of Tamil Nadu on an affidavit within two weeks from today. Response to the said affidavit, if necessary, be filed by the petitioner within one week thereafter,” the bench said.
The matter will now be heard after the summer vacation.

Senior advocate S Nagamuthu, appearing for one of the parties, submitted that the hospital under the guise of treatment is carrying out illegal construction.
He said the government hospital beds are lying vacant and if there is any need for extra beds, the state government should have filed an application, not the private hospital.

The top court had earlier in 2020 allowed the Tamil Nadu government to use the top four floors of a Chennai-based private hospital for treating COVID-19 patients.
It had directed the Tamil Nadu government to have arrangements with the private hospital regarding doctors, nursing staff, and other facilities for treating COVID-19 patients.

On June 3, 2019, the top court had stayed the Madras High Court judgement ordering the demolition of the top five floors of the eight-story block of Billroth Hospitals Ltd for alleged violation of the approved building plan.

It had however directed the hospital not to use these top five floors for any activity.
The hospital had told the apex court that it had applied under the 2017 building regularisation scheme of Tamil Nadu for the regularisation of the floors.
The hospital had said that it was operational from 2005-2006. _ PTI