The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an Action-Taken Report (ATR) recently from the Odisha Home Secretary on the preparedness to combat emergency situations in capital city Bhubaneswar.
Taking cognisance of a petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC sought the report within four weeks. The commission also marked the copy of its order to the Odisha Director General of Police for information and needful action..
The order of the NHRC came to rectify the unpreparedness of the State capital to face exigencies, like the situation cropped up after the petrol pump blast on October 7, near Raj Bhavan in the city.
The Government hospitals in Bhubaneswar are not well-equipped to deal with patients with burn injuries. The traffic jam from Bhubaneswar to Cuttack where the injured were treated could not get proper medical attention and there was delay in ensuring treatment also, Tripathy alleged.
The negligence and failure of the State Governments to ensure safety, fire fighting infrastructure, continuous surveillance and vigil to protect human rights , timely proper medical treatment, proper traffic management amounts to serious violation of human rights, Tripathy pointed out.
He requested the NHRC to take this case as extremely urgent and ensure proper healthcare facilities in Government Hospitals in Bhubaneswar, fire safety, traffic management and ancillary and incidental issues to meet the emergency situation in Bhubaneswar, as it is the State capital.