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A proposed multi-speciality hospital overlooking a military camp near the sensitive Indo-Bangladesh border at Jorhat in Assam has become a flashpoint in the Supreme Court after the Army objected to its construction, expressing apprehension of “drone movement” and the possibility of the use of “long-range sniper rifles”.
The Army, which initially objected to the no-objection certificate granted to the private company by the Jorhat Development Authority for constructing the hospital, has now said that if at all the hospital is allowed to be built, it should have a more than 15-foot-tall concrete boundary wall with separators and no window of the multi-storeyed structure should face the Army camp.
Accoring to repot by PTI, A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma, which heard the Army officials along with Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Vikramjit Banerjee appearing for the Centre, observed that it needs to strike a balance as on one side lies “public health” and on the other side is “national security”.
It asked the ASG and senior advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for the private company Dr. N Sahewalla and Company Pvt Ltd. constructing the hospital, to find a solution in two weeks after the Army submitted that it is not per se against the construction of the hospital, as it could also be beneficial to its personnel in case of emergency but some safeguards should be there.
Banerjee submitted, “The boundary walls of the hospital should be above 15 feet tall with a separator and no windows of the hospital, which has insisted on having glass windows, should face the Army camp.
“The situation now is very volatile at the Indo-Bangladesh border. It’s not the threat of long-range sniper rifles alone but nowadays, a drone can be brought in after having a view of the camp.”
The bench, after recording the submission of an Army colonel who also addressed the court, said that the solution can be found by both parties as both “public health” and “national security” are of importance.
