HC notice on termination of services of NGOs

The High Court at Hyderabad directed the twin States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to respond to petitions questioning their action in dispensing with the services of NGOs operating under Urban Health Centres located in their respective States.

Three different NGOs, Society for National Integration through Rural Development of Prakasham district, Society for National Integration of Nellore district in AP and Urban Mahila Development Society in Wanaparthy of Mahbubnagar district in Telangana, filed three separate petitions questioning the said action.

The petitioners from AP informed the court that the government had issued an order in April this year, dispensing with the services of NGOs operating 194 Urban Health Centres in the State and based on the GO district Collectors of Prakasham and Nellore districts issued notices to relive them from running of Health Centres.

They pointed out that the Central government had approved upgrading of all existing 193 Urban Health Centres as Urban Primary Health Centres in the year 2014-15 and 2015-16 under the National Urban Health Mission and under the upgrading each Urban Primary Health Centre was provided with additional human resources including medical officer, staff nurse, lab-technician, pharmacist, ministerial assistance, supporting staff and five ANMs provided at one UPHC for providing community services.