Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday set aside the interim stay on the hike of daily budget allocation of cooked food for patients at govt hospitals, observing the rise—from Rs 57 per patient to Rs 110—was a policy decision and the tenderer could not have a say in it.The state increased the allocation and a notice was also issued, directing its implementation from Aug 1. The budget was raised after a long gap.One of the contenders for the tender had challenged the hike before an HC single bench of Justice Krishna Rao The contention was that as another case on the fixing of budget allocation for patients’ food at govt hospitals was pending in court, the state could not have revised the rate. The counsel for the state, Srijib Chakraborty, said Justice Rao had temporarily stayed the implementation of the price rise.The state challenged the order before the division bench of Justice Shampa Sarkar and Justice Ajay Kumar Gupta, which set aside the single bench order and observed that it was not desirable that the state would not be able to take positive welfare steps just because there were legal complications.In the notification issued by the health and family welfare department, it was stated that the revised rate was approved following a review by a committee constituted in compliance with a Calcutta High Court order. It was reported that the panel reviewed the existing rate in June, taking into account the prevailing market prices of food items. The enhanced rate for the diet was to be applicable to indoor patients at govt health facilities from Aug 1, subject to existing rules.
