Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the State government to make the State Organ Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) office premises functional by August 31.
So far as the issue of SOTTO establishment is concerned, the government, in its affidavit to the division bench of Justices Mahesh Sonak and Nutan Sardessai, submitted that Central Government has already released one-time measure as grant of approximately Rs 71 lakh.
On the date of final hearing last week, the court was informed that the technical snag has been sorted out and the State Government has received Central funds towards the establishment of SOTTO.
“The affidavit states that the SOTTO office will be made functional in this new premises by August 31, 2019. We accept this statement made in the affidavit as undertaking to this Court and direct the State Government to make functional the SOTTO office premises latest by August 31, 2019,” the court stated.
The affidavit also indicates that the web portal for SOTTO will be created on the GMC website and the same will be made functional and accessible again latest by August 31, 2019. This was in fact one of the issues raised by the petitioner Mango Foundation in the petition. The court directed to make the web portal too functional by this date assured in the affidavit.
The government had last month stated that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been executed between the State Government and the Central Government in terms of which the Centre has assured inter alia one-time financial assistance for infrastructural requirements and financial assistance by way of recurring expenditure for salary of the staff for a period of three years.
“As noted earlier, it is in pursuance of this MoU, the Central Government has already released an amount of Rs 71 lakh or thereabouts to the State Government. Initially, for the SOTTO office, two rooms were identified on the 5th floor of the Medicine Block of Goa Medical College. Thereafter, however, different premises were identified on the first floor of Foyers Block having about four rooms, which premises were found to be ideal for the purposes of SOTTO. The Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) has been entrusted with the work of renovation of such premises, requisite furniture has already been procured and renovation works are at an advanced stage. The SOTTO office will be made functional in this new premises by August 31, 2019,” the government affidavit had stated.
Advocate Wilbur Menezes, who appeared on behalf of the petitioner, said the matter was a serious issue, since otherwise, illegal trade in human organs and tissues might flourish, leading to physical as well as economic exploitation of poor and unwary.
