Express News Service
JAIPUR: The Rajasthan High Court has asked the Central Government to furnish a factual report on the availability of vaccines to the state government for Pakistani Migrants settled in Rajasthan who do not have prescribed identity cards. The Court has also asked the State and the District administration to chalk out a plan for vaccinating the Pakistani Hindu Migrants settled in Rajasthan, further ordering the Gehlot government to provide food on a priority basis to them during the lockdown.
While the Indian citizens over 18 are being vaccinated against coronavirus, the Pakistani Hindu migrants living in Rajasthan are being turned away from vaccine centers as they do not have Aadhaar cards. Activists had claimed that 10 Pakistani Hindu migrants have succumbed to Covid due to lack of medical facilities.
In all, 50 people had been found positive while 1,500 people have an influenza-like illness. But none of them received any medical attention.
A bench of Justice Vijay Vishnoi and Justice Rameshwar Vyaas on Thursday heard the case. On behalf of Pakistani migrants, it was submitted that in the absence of an Aadhaar card, the eligible Pakistani migrants were deprived of vaccination. Seemant Loksanghthan, an NGO working for the rights of Pakistani migrants, had requested to vaccinate all the eligible migrants but the same has not been taken into consideration.
ALSO READ | Pakistani Hindu migrants in Rajasthan appeal to PM Modi for vaccination based on travel documents
Further, Mukesh Rajpurohit, ASG, and Vipul Singhvi, ASG, had submitted that the Centre had already issued an SOP on Covid vaccination of persons without identity cards thorough CO-WIN.
Court directed AAG KS Rajpurohit to apprise it about the steps taken by the district administration in pursuance of the SOP dated May 6 issued by the central government regarding vaccination of those who do not have any prescribed ID cards.
Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district is the biggest hub for Pakistani migrants in the country. More than 30,000 Pakistani Hindu migrants are living in Jodhpur, Jaipur, and Jaisalmer waiting for their citizenship.
The court observed that it is a serious issue and no person residing in the state can be allowed to starve due to non-availability of food. It directed the State Government to furnish a report regarding the availability of ration to the Pakistani migrants residing in Jodhpur by May 28.
