The Supreme Court will finally decide in February on a petition seeking a probe in the award of contracts to Satyam Computer’s Emergency Management Research Institute (EMRI) for starting ambulance services in various cities across India.
The ambitious project to start such services in collaboration with EMRI had come under cloud last year with a public interest litigation questioning the way its disgraced founder Ramalinga Raju got 10 state governments to implement it and reimburse 95% of its expenses. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan on Monday posted the matter for final hearing in February. Earlier, it had sought replies from the Centre, 12 states and EMRI on a petition challenging the privatisation of ambulance services or emergency response services under the National Rural
Health Mission. While the Bench had issued notices to the Union health ministry and several states and EMRI, it had deleted the name of former President APJ Abdul Kalam, chairman emeritus of EMRI and others governing body members of EMRI saying the organisation can respond to the charges rather than individual members