SONEM TAYENG Vs. STATE OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard Mr. T.T. Tara, learned counsel for the petitioners. Also heard Mr. I. Riram, learned Govt. Advocate, representing respondent nos. 1 and 3 and Mr. T. Tagum, learned standing counsel for the Health and Family Welfare Department, representing respondent no.2.

(2.) The 9 (nine) petitioners herein are residents of 5 (five) different villages falling under P.O. Hayuliang under P.S. Khupa in the Anjaw District of the State of Arunachal Pradesh. This Public Interest Litigation (PIL for short) is claimed to be filed in public interest, and for the benefit of several villages of Hayuliang area, who contend that the Office of the District Medical Officer, Anjaw should not be shifted from its present location at Swamy Camp, Hayuliang to District Headquarter of Anjaw District at Hawai, as proposed by the Government. The petitioners claim that the District Headquarter at Hawai happens to be far away from most of the administrative blocks of Anjaw District, viz., Chaglagam, Goilang, Manchal and Hayuliang, where nearly 70% (seventy percent) population of Anjaw District are residing. Accordingly, the petitioners have prayed for quashing the impugned order dtd. 4/11/2019, issued by the Deputy Commissioner, Anjaw District, Hawai (respondent no.3), by which it was decided to shift, amongst others, the Office of the District Medical Officer, Anjaw from its present location at Swamy Camp, Hayuliang to District Headquarter of Anjaw District at Hawai.

(3.) The learned counsel for the petitioners has made extensive submissions to justify the continuance of the said office at the present location by submitting that the local people of the area had been demanding that a District Hospital be set up in Hayuliang area. Accordingly, a 50 (fifty) bedded District Hospital, known as Kalikho Pul Memorial Hospital has been constructed in the year 2014 and inaugurated in the year 2017 by the then Chief Minister, and since then, the said Hospital is catering to public from its location at Swamy Camp, Hayuliang. Hence, it is submitted that it would be in best interest of the pubic that the Office of the District Medical Officer, Anjaw be retained at the present location. Moreover, it has been submitted that the present location is well connected in terms of road communication and telecommunication.