Patiala — The Punjab and Haryana High Court has sought an explanation from the Punjab government and the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) over recurring power outages at Patiala’s Rajindra Hospital, particularly affecting the maternity and operation theatre (OT) wards.
The court’s directive comes in response to a revival application filed by advocate Sunaina, acting as a petitioner in person, within an ongoing public interest litigation (PIL). The plea raised alarm over a 30-minute blackout in the hospital’s Mother and Child Health (MCH) building on April 15, barely two months after a similar outage on February 4 had already drawn judicial scrutiny.
Expressing serious concern, a division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel questioned why backup systems failed during the blackout. The bench said the state counsel was unable to provide a satisfactory explanation, further underlining concerns about patient safety in critical areas.
“The state is bound by its assurances. If compliance fails, the court will take strict action,” the bench warned.
Court-Issued Assurances, But No Compliance
Earlier this year, the Punjab government had submitted an affidavit promising that diesel generator (DG) sets and automatic switchovers would be installed across all hospital blocks by March 1. The court had disposed of the PIL in February based on this assurance.
However, petitioner Sunaina argued that the April blackout proved non-compliance, with the state’s justification of “routine maintenance” termed “vague and unacceptable.” She also alleged that a Right to Information (RTI) query she filed about the installation of auto-switches went unanswered, calling it a further sign of administrative opacity.
Political and Public Criticism
Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu also weighed in on the April incident, calling it “more than a technical glitch” and urging the state administration to be held accountable.
In light of the court’s fresh directive, the chief secretary and PSPCL’s managing director have been asked to file affidavits explaining the circumstances that led to the failure of the power backup system.
The bench has revived the PIL, allowing the petitioner to explore further legal remedies and warning that disciplinary action could follow if accountability is not fixed.
