The central government has moved the Supreme Court against the West Bengal government over alleged inadequate accommodation for Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel stationed at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata which they termed as 'unpardonable non-cooperation'.
This deployment was ordered by the Supreme Court, and the central government has now filed a contempt case against the state for failing to adhere to this order.
According to the central government's complaint, there are currently 92 CISF personnel at the hospital, including 54 women, who are experiencing severe issues with their accommodation.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a direction to West Bengal authorities to extend full cooperation to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and called it an example "symptomatic of a systemic malaise".
The petition has detailed about the Bengal governemnt of not providing adequate housing, transportation particularly for the female officers and lack of secure storage for the security equipment.
The central government has argued that these shortcomings in accommodation and facilities are 'unacceptable', especially given the sensitive nature of the situation in the state.
They have stressed that ensuring the safety and security of doctors, especially female doctors, should be a priority for the state government.
In an application filed in the case, the MHA said the plea "concerns the deployment of CISF personnel at the R G Kar Medical College, including the hostels where the resident doctors are staying, to ensure their safety".
In its petition, the central government criticizes the West Bengal government for its "inaction" and argues that this reflects a broader pattern of non-cooperation with central agencies under court orders.
They claim that such non-compliance is a deliberate disregard of the Supreme Court’s directives. The reportedly said that the state government is "creating obstacles and jeopardising the solution-oriented approach initiated by the Supreme Court".
The Centre also accused the state government of obstructing efforts to resolve the issue and argues that the West Bengal government is failing to address the problem, which in turn is harming its own residents.
On August 20, the apex court had termed the rape and murder of a doctor at the hospital as "horrific" and issued a slew of directions including setting up of a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other health care professionals.
Besides, the top court had taken a serious note of mob violence at the hospital and the allegation that the Kolkata police fled the scene.
It had ordered deployment of CISF personnel at the hospital to enable the striking doctors to resume work.
