TN govt defends policy on regulating COVID-19 relief by NGOs, individuals

Defending in the Madras High Courtits order regulating private relief efforts during coronavirus lockdown, the Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday said there "is a significant risk of community spread" if NGOs, groups and others take up such activities on their own.In a counter to the petition filed by the DMK challenging its directive for routing relief works through the district administration, the government dubbed as "utterly false allegation" the claim that it has barred NGOs and others from reaching out to the needy people and it has only said.There would be potential risk even if one COVID-19 person slips into the crowd that may throng to receive relief materials distributed without regulations as per the health department norms for social distancing and others, it said.The DMK has sought to quash a communique of the Department of Public Relations, restraining political parties, charitable organisations and NGOs from distributing essential items like groceries and vegetables during the lockdown period directly without the involvement of state machinery.When the matter came up for hearing before a bench of Justices R.Subbiah and R.Pongiappan, the opposition party said it was against the government's decision as the Prime Minister himself in his speech had made a request to help the poor and the needy.Advocate General Vijay Narayan, who appeared for the government, submitted that the present situation was entirely different and the entire world faced a grave danger from cornavirus.The government counter detailed the steps taken and the seriousness of the pandemic and the directions given by the union government to contain it."At this time, the situation and the efforts should not be looked at from a narrow prism by attributing or insinuating political reason to a well reasoned public health-based decision and make an utterly false allegation that the state government has stayed the acceptance or distribution of NGO/CSO/private individual's effort, it said.The government clarified that there was no such stay or ban on service organisations or private individuals in distributing relief.Only the procedure of distribution of such relief has been modified to ensure that the Public Health directives based on the protocols evolved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and public health experts of the Central and state governments, are followed.It was further submitted that so far 2,500 organisations and 58,000 volunteers have registered themselves online and directly contacting the district administration and the services of them are utilised by the government.The bench said it would pass final orders on Thursday.

TN govt defends policy on regulating COVID-19 relief by NGOs, individuals

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