HC disposes Rajendra hosp power outage case after compliance report by govt
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Patiala: The Punjab and Haryana high court has disposed of a revival application in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning repeated power outages at Rajendra Hospital, Patiala, after reviewing compliance affidavits submitted by senior govt officials.
The PIL, filed by advocate Sunaina earlier this year, sought court directions to ensure uninterrupted regular power supply in all govt and semi-govt hospitals across Punjab. It was originally disposed of on Feb 25, 2025, based on an undertaking by the chief secretary, Punjab, affirming that automatic switchover systems would be installed by March 1 in various departments of Rajendra Hospital, Patiala.
However, following a fourth major power failure on April 15 — severely affecting critical facilities, including the maternity ward and operation theatre — Sunaina filed a revival application, calling the recurring outages "an administrative failure" and warning of continued risks to public safety.
Taking note, the chief justice directed both the chief secretary, Govt of Punjab, and the managing director of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to submit affidavits detailing whether automatic switchover systems were installed, their current functionality, and the reasons for any non-compliance.
In an affidavit dated May 21, the chief secretary confirmed the installation of automatic switchover systems in all 19 diesel generator (DG) sets, expansion of UPS coverage to nine additional critical areas, and administrative steps, including transferring DG maintenance responsibilities to the PWD B&R Electrical Division from Jan 25 onwards, when a high-level meeting was held under health minister and principal secretary of Medical Education and Research.
Meanwhile, the MD, PSPCL stated that no disruption occurred in PSPCL's primary power supply to the hospital at the time of the reported failure, suggesting a possible gap in hospital-level backup response rather than external power issues. Despite the contradiction, the high court, satisfied with the govt's compliance measures and undertakings, disposed of the revival application, bringing the litigation to a close.
The court also directed the petitioner in person to file a fresh petition if and when a new cause of action arises of a future power outage incident at Rajendra hospital Patiala.
The case sparked wider discussions on the state of emergency preparedness and infrastructure accountability in Punjab's healthcare system.
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