kolkata

IIE DIGITAL: The West Bengal government has received a major legal boost after the Calcutta High Court's Division Bench overturned an earlier interim order that had stalled the state's decision to increase the daily food allowance for patients in government hospitals.

The matter was heard by a Bench comprising Justices Shampa Sarkar and Ajay Gupta, who set aside the previous stay imposed by a single judge. The ruling effectively clears the path for the government to implement its revised food budget without further legal impediments.

During the hearing, the Division Bench observed that rising prices and inflation cannot be ignored while framing public welfare policies, questioning how the government would be expected to make fresh administrative decisions if such measures were routinely halted.

The state had announced that, from August 1, the per-patient food allocation in government hospitals would be raised from ₹57 to ₹112 to improve the quality of meals provided to admitted patients. A notification to this effect had been issued on July 23.

The revised allocation was challenged by a private agency, which argued that the issue of determining the per-patient food cost was already under judicial consideration and that the government should not have issued a fresh pricing framework during the pendency of the case. Acting on the petition, the single bench had temporarily stayed the decision.

The state subsequently appealed before the Division Bench, which has now lifted the stay, allowing the enhanced allocation to take effect.