High Court seeks ground report on situation in rural Punjab, Haryana

Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 12

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today made clear its intent to examine Covid intrusion in rural areas by calling for affidavits from secretary-level health authorities in Punjab and Haryana. The Bench also made it clear that the states were required to examine bringing into play a rule that made vaccination mandatory for government employees to make offices fully functional at the earliest.

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The Bench left it to the two states and Chandigarh UT to ask corporate houses to join the fight against the pandemic by providing ambulances, oxygen beds, ventilators, CT scan machines, etc., to government hospitals.

As the matter came up for resumed hearing this morning, the Bench of Justice Rajan Gupta and Justice Karamjit Singh asked Punjab A-G Atul Nanda on monitoring the situation in the rural areas. “It is directed that an affidavit be filed by an officer not below the rank of Principal Secretary, Health,” the Bench ordered. Haryana A-G Baldev Raj Mahajan submitted that senior officer had been deputed in every district to monitor the situation in the villages. “This court, however, needs a detailed report on the work done at the ground level... by an officer not below the rank of Additional Chief Secretary, Health,” the Bench said.

Speaking for the Bench, Justice Gupta said nodal agencies in all districts could monitor ambulance facilities provided by private operators. Additional Solicitor-General of India Satya Pal Jain submitted that pursuant to the HC orders, the Centre had increased oxygen supply to Punjab from 227 MT to 247 MT and to Haryana from 267 MT to 307 MT.