The Uttarakhand High Court on Wednesday, has directed Secretaries of the District Legal Services Authorities of Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar and Dehradun to make a personal visit of the quarantine centres and file its report before the Registrar General online.
“The district administration shall provide them with such logistics and preventive gear, keeping the present condition Covid-19 pandemic in mind”, said by the Court.
The division bench comprising of Justice Ravindra Maithani & Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia observed that the conditions in many of the quarantine centres, to say the least, is pathetic. It was also alleged that there are not enough toilets in these centres. Many of these institutional quarantine centres are in extreme unhygienic conditions.
Petitioner’s Counsel appraised the High Court that the directions given by the Court in the order issued on 20.05.2020 have not been followed at all nor is there any effort on part of the State authorities in this direction.
On Wednesday, the counsel for the petitioner had apprised the Court that the conditions in some quarantine centres in the border districts are pathetic. There is a complete lack of facilities in many of the quarantine centres in Pithoragarh and Dehradun. Not only this, the learned counsel for the petitioner had also apprised the Court that there has been an incident where a Government Official has manhandled a person simply for asking for better facilities in the quarantine centre.
On which the High Court directed the Secretary, Health, Government of Uttarakhand to do a formal inquiry in the aforesaid matter and apprise the Court through the learned Advocate General by the next date of listing.
It was also informed to the court that Government has not been able to construct and make functional any quarantine centers on border itself, for logistical reasons, but such quarantine centers have been established in the border districts i.e. in Districts Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar and Dehradun.
Health Secretary, Government of U.P had said before the court that it is possible that in this short duration some of the quarantine centres may actually be lacking in facilities, however, he has assured this Court that all efforts shall be made to upgrade these quarantine centres by providing sufficient toilets and by maintaining a proper hygiene in these centres and that he will make sure that the inmates in these quarantine centres are given their meals in proper time, three times a day.
Therefore, the Court directed the Registrar General of the High Court to inform the State Legal Services Authority and the Secretary of the above-mentioned District Legal Services Authorities for compliance of the order.
-India Legal Bureau