Latest news with #CovidEnquiryCommission
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Karnataka High Court orders BBMP to pay Rs 10-crore dues for pandemic medical services
The Karnataka High Court has in two separate matters directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike to pay over Rs 10 crore to two medical establishments for services during the pandemic. The matters were heard by a bench of Justice S R Krishna Kumar, with the final order being delivered on June 2 and made publicly available this week. Vijayalakshmi Diagnostics Private Limited approached the court for the recovery of Rs 5.8-crore dues from the BBMP, to which the company supplied RT-PCR testing services in 2020-2022. The court observed that the facts were similar to another case, already decided, involving BGS Global Institute of Medical Science, where dues of Rs 4.5 crore were payable for providing 24 x 7 RT-PCR services. The BBMP argued that the Covid inquiry commission–set up to examine irregularities in the pandemic management–had rejected the company's request to pay the bills. BGS Global Institute, however, contended that their services and the payment were not part of the subject matter of the inquiry, led by retired judge Michael Cunha. The court observed, 'It is an undisputed fact that the claim of the petitioner…is towards non-payment of dues in relation to RTPCR tests conducted by the petitioner, which are clearly not the subject matter of the enquiry before the Covid Enquiry Commission. Under these circumstances, I am of the view that no reliance can be placed upon the said order dated 27.10.2023 passed by the Covid Enquiry Commission by the BBMP in order to avoid its undisputed liability to pay the pending dues in favour of the petitioner, who would be entitled to recover the same from respondent No.2-BBMP.' The court said the mere pendency of the inquiry could not be a basis to withhold undisputed dues and directed the payments to be made along with interest calculated at 6 per cent per annum.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
BBMP cannot use pending inquiry to delay Covid dues: Karnataka HC
BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to pay dues of Rs 4.53 crore to BGS Global Institute of Medical Sciences and Rs 5.88 crore to Vijayalakshmi Diagnostics Private Limited for services provided during the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of ICMR and state government directions and guidelines in 2020-22. The hospitals moved the HC as the state and BBMP did not release the dues, citing the Commission of Inquiry constituted to probe alleged irregularities in Covid-19. Now, the court has directed them to pay the dues with 6 per cent interest per annum from bills dated October 17, 2022 and November 11, 2022, till the date of payment. The state government admitted that dues are to be paid to them. However, the BBMP contended that it had submitted an application to the Covid Enquiry Commission to permit to make payment of Rs 44.21 crore to various private laboratories towards the dues in respect of RT-PCR tests and Rs 2.20 crore to the concerns which are stated to have lent hearse van services during Covid-19 pandemic in favour of the petitioners and other persons. However, the commission rejected it through an order dated October 27, 2023. Justice SR Krishna Kumar, in his order, noted that no reliance can be placed upon the said order dated October 27, 2023, passed by the Covid Enquiry Commission to the BBMP to avoid its undisputed liability to pay the pending dues in favour of the petitioners, who would be entitled to recover the same from BBMP. It is also pertinent to note that mere pendency of enquiry by the Covid Enquiry Commission cannot be made on the basis of the undisputed dues in favour of the petitioners, the court said. The court however also observed that it is relevant to state that in the absence of any prohibitory order passed by the Commission which restrains BBMP from making payment in favour of the petitioners, it cannot be said that the mere pendency of the enquiry simpliciter can be used as a shield by BBMP to justify its non-payment of the admitted dues to the petitioners.
