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Bombay high court promises more ambulances in Mumbai to rescue railway accident victims

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The high court issued notices to the BMC and state government to file their replies within two weeks, after it observed that "In the city, there are more railway deaths because victims are not moved to hospitals on time and die due to loss of blood. Taking advantage of this petition, we will see to it that the city has more ambulances for the larger good of the people."

A division bench of justices VM Kanade and PD Kode made these observations while hearing a petition filed by RTI activist and social worker Mehul Katariya, alleging misappropriation of funds by BMC in purchasing 12 cardiac ambulances for Rs10 crore, approximately at a rate of Rs60 lakh each, while it is otherwise available for Rs21 lakh.

Advocate Madhav Thorat, appearing for Katariya, argued that "The purchase has been done with the tax payers' money and as the petition has found out that an established supplier can give a high-end ambulance at a lesser rate, this shows that there has been misappropriation of public money."

The bench said, "We will ensure that more ambulances are available in the city and there is transparency in the purchase. The court will also look into the allegations of misappropriation."

As per the petition filed by Katariya under RTI, he procured information that the cardiac ambulances were purchased at a cost of Rs9,85,53,424 crore. Facilities available in the ambulances are ventilators, syringes, an infusion pump, a high vacuum suction machine, a defibrillator, multipara monitors, head immobilization system, scorp streture, resuscicitation bag for adults and children, mobile ECG machine, spine board full size and mechanical chest compression machine.

When he brought to the notice of the authorities that such a gross misuse of public money had occurred, he received vague replies. The petition thus prayed that the court should initiate action against the officials concerned, after going through the records of purchase. The court has now adjourned the hearing by two weeks.

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