PM urged to foot Manna Dey's medical bill

Veteran CPI MP Gurudas Dasgupta has requested the prime minister to foot the Rs 28-lakh medical bill raised by a Bangalore hospital where legendary singer Manna Dey died recently, after a prolonged illness.

The Karnataka government has remained non-committal on the appeal of Manna Dey’s family to meet the medical expenses. Gurudas Dasgupta, in a letter to Manmohan Singh, said Dey’s family was not in a position to pay the bill toward’s the singer’s treatment at Narayana Hrudayalaya private hospital in Bangalore. He breathed his last owing to multi-organ failure.

 “I have come to know that a large sum of money, may be Rs 28 lakh, remain unpaid at the hospital where one of the greatest cultural talents breathed his last. The family may not be in a position to pay up. As far as I know, they approached the Karnataka government and I’m aware of the response,” the CPI Lok Sabha MP wrote. The Left leader was of the view that if the prime minister cleared the bill and spared the family, it will be a tribute to a “great son of India”.

“If you are not in a position to pay or government rules do not permit it, allow me to pay it from my MP local area development (MPLAD) fund. For that necessary relaxation may be done,” he said.