HC directs WB govt to file report on adherence to COVID-19 guidelines

The Calcutta High Court on

Thursday directed the West Bengal government to file a report within a day on allegations that the state is not adhering to the guidelines issued by the WHO and the ICMR for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

Considering the gravity of the grievance expressed by the petitioner, a division bench comprising Chief Justice T B N Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee said that it will take up the issue for hearing again on Friday, when it will consider the report to be placed by the state government.

On an earlier order by the high court on April 8, the secretary to the department of health and family welfare of the state government submitted a report on Thursday before the Chief Justice's bench on steps taken to control the spread of the novel coronavirus in West Bengal.

 

Senior counsel Bikash Bhattachar, appearing for petitioner Fuad Halim, submitted through video conference, that the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for tackling COVID-19 are not being adhered to by the state of West Bengal.

"The state shall respond to this specific grievance by way of a further report on the next date of hearing," the division bench directed.

The court directed that a copy of the order be communicated to the state Advocate General and the health and family welfare department secretary immediately.

Moving the PIL on April 8, the petitioner's lawyer alleged that frontline workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic such as doctors, nurses, paramedics and other related staff were not being given proper protective gear.

Bhattacharya had also claimed that all necessary data regarding the tests done and number of affected persons were not being shared by the government.