Kolkata, Nov 14: The Calcutta High Court today asked the West Bengal government to direct the police authorities not to prevent journalists from entering state-run hospitals. The directive was issued after the state told the court that it had not imposed any ban on the entry of newsmen into hospitals and that it had only urged the scribes to exercise restraint.
State Advocate-General Balai Roy, submitted before the division bench of Chief Justice A K Mathur and Justice A Banerjee that Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee had not issued any order imposing a ban on the entry of media persons into government hospital premises.
"However, realizing the need for regulating the entry of outsiders in hospitals, particularly in the wards and treatment rooms, the chief minister has made an appeal to the media for exercising restraint in this regard," the AG said.
He submitted that on November three, Bhattacharjee had requested the members of the Press Club, Kolkata, to discuss and give their suggestions for regulating the entry of media persons into the hospital premises. "So far no response has been received," the AG said.
Bureau Report