The High Court of Telangana slammed the State Government for low testing rate of COVID 19 in the State and has directed the state Government to increase the rate of tests being conducted throughout the state as far as possible.
The division bench Comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Vijaysen Reddy observed “to ignore the presence of coronavirus by not testing large number of population is inviting the Trojan Horse into our citadel. Therefore, this court directs the state to not only continue to test but to increase the number of tests throughout the state as far as possible.”
The bench was hearing a batch of five petitions highlighting the plight of migrant workers and the inaction of the State Government in conducting adequate number of COVID-19 tests in the State.
Pointing out that “the State cannot hide behind the big leaf of financial constraints”, the bench observed that the State was not conducting adequate number of tests despite the Central Governments directives to increase the number of tests.
The bench has directed the State Government to submit a detailed report on the number of tests conducted and number of people quarantined in the State from March 11 to May 25, 2020.
With respect to the migrant workers, the bench has sought a report on the number of migrant workers who have entered the state so far and the number of these workers who have been tested so far.
The bench has also directed the state Government to place on record a comprehensive report showing the details of the PPE kits in stock and also the number of kits that have been distributed so far.
With respect to a plea for conducting COVID-19 tests on dead bodies, the bench directed the State Government to conduct tests on dead bodies as well as the persons coming in contact with the dead bodies.
India legal Bureau