The Uttarakhand High Court has issued an order for the immediate removal of encroachments from BD Pandey Hospital in Nainital.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal passed this order in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
The PIL urged the district magistrate and sub-divisional magistrate of Nainital to swiftly clear the encroachments from the hospital’s approximately 1.49-acre land. Over the years, more than 100 encroachers have occupied the hospital’s land, which is impeding efforts to transform it into a multi-speciality hospital.
The PIL, filed by local resident and retired teacher Ashok Lal Shah, highlighted the insufficient healthcare facilities at the hospital. Despite being the primary hospital of the district, patients from distant areas often get referred to Haldwani even for minor examinations, the plea stated.
