By PTI
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court administration has agreed ‘in-principle’ to a proposal of bar body SCBA for setting up of a temporary in-patient COVID-19 facility in the new chamber building for lawyers here.
Earlier, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) led by president and senior advocate Vikas Singh had submitted a representation to Chief Justice N V Ramana that the new chamber building, meant for lawyers, of the top court at Pragati Maidan here be considered for opening as the COVID care centre.
Granting “in-principle” concurrence, the top court administration made clear that the “staff of Supreme Court Registry will not be associated with the proposed facility and it is for the government of National Capital Territory of Delhi to decide as to how to operate the facility”.
TheA statement, said if the “GNCTD, based on its own assessment, comes forward to set up the facility at the location proposed and as per the duly approved blue print, the Supreme Court administration may consider handing over the space to the concerned Authority of GNCTD in accordance with COVID protocol”.
The bar body had urged the CJI to urgently approve temporary conversion of the Advocates’ Chamber Block in the additional Supreme Court complex for use as a COVID-care centre or field hospital.
SCBA on Thursday also wrote to Naresh Trehan of Medanta hospital at Gurgaon to set up a temporary in-patient facility for COVID-19 patients in the new lawyers’ chamber building of the apex court.
SCBA president and senior advocate Vikas Singh urged the managing director of the hospital to set up the centre after the AAP-led Delhi government expressed its inability in doing so.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court administration agreed in ‘in-principle’ to the proposal of SCBA for setting up of a temporary in-patient facility for COVID-19 patients in the new chamber building.
“GNCT Delhi has inspected the premise but has expressed inability to provide any infrastructure for the purpose. They however have found the place feasible to start a COVID care facility.”
“They do not have spare manpower and they are not in a position to supply the hardware also. Hence we have requested Medanta,” Singh told PTI.
Singh said SCBA has lost many members to COVID-19 pandemic and said that the losses have been very “distressing” and “shocking “.
Earlier, SCBA had submitted a representation to Chief Justice N V Ramana that the new chamber building, meant for lawyers, of the top court at Pragati Maidan here be considered for opening as the COVID care centre for providing treatment to member lawyers, their families and staffers of the apex court and their kith and kin.
