The Delhi High Court on Friday has directed both the Departments to clarify the position on number of PPE Kits, N-95 masks, gloves, etc. supplied, by filing separate affidavits within five days.
A division bench presided by Justice HimaKohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad of Delhi High Court while conducting hearing through video conferencing noted that there appears a mismatch in the inventory of the PPE kits, N-95 masks, gloves, etc. between what the Union of India claims in its affidavit, have been supplied to the GNCTD, which the latter states it has not received to the said extent.
Earlier, on the last date of hearing the Additional Solicitor General appearing for the central government informed the court that they have already provided a total number of 3,46,929 N-95 masks and 60890 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Kits to the Delhi Government. It was also pointed out that, “…there are low risk, moderate risk and high-risk zones/ works to be carried out by the Safai Karamcharis, etc.”
The Court was hearing the petition filed by Harnam Singh through Advocate Mahmood Pracha seeking directions to authorities concerned to ‘provide protective equipment to the sanitation workers’ who have been working ‘tirelessly and selflessly’ during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has put the lives of billions of people across the world at risk.
Further,the Court has asked New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB), South Delhi Municipal Cooperation (SDMB), and East Delhi Municipal Corporation of Delhi (EDMC) to submit affidavits through email.
The Court has also directed that replies may be filed by counsel for the petitioners to the affidavits filed by the respondents within five working days with advance copies to the respective counsel of the concerned Departments.
The Court will hear the matter on June 1.
Read the order here;
64115_2020-India Legal Bureau