HC slams state for failing to set up civil defence centres in Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri

The Bombay High Court bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni on Tuesday slammed the Maharashtra government for its failure to set up and make operational the civil defence force centres in Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts. The bench has ordered the Principal Secretary, state Home Department, to file an affidavit spelling out by when would these centres, which are helpful to tackle and manage disasters, would be set up in the two districts.

The bench was hearing a plea filed by one Sharad Raul, a former government official, highlighting the failure on part of the state to set up the centres.

Raul, through his counsel Rakesh Bhatkar, pointed out that in 2011, a total of six districts across the state were declared to be "disaster-prone". These districts were Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri.

Bhatkar pointed out that the civil defence centres were already set up in the four districts except for Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri.

Noting the series of natural calamities that occurred in these districts in the recent past, the bench questioned additional government pleader BV Samant as to by when would these two districts get the centres.

"We are desirous of being informed by the state government to steps taken to constitute civil defence centres for the two districts as well as the entire organisational set up of the directorgeneral of civil defence," the judges said.

The matter would be next heard in two weeks.

Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts were declared to be ‘disaster-prone’