News Analysis India

Tag: COVID-19 protocol

  • Covid-compliant facility available for workers at Central Vista Project site, Modi govt tells Delhi HC

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Defending ongoing work on Central Vista projects, the Central government on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court that the petition seeking to stop the construction of the project is “sheer abuse of the process of law and is one more attempt to stall the project.”

    The Centre also urged the High Court to dismiss the petition with exemplary costs on the ground that it is an abuse of the process of law.

    “Such attempts are going on since the inception of the project under one pretext or the other and in one name or the other. The following facts will satisfy this Hon’ble Court that the petitioner has while taking refuge under the present situation, made an attempt to stall the project under the garb of ‘public interest’,” the Centre said in its affidavit.

    “Further, it is important to note that about 400 workers were engaged at site of the aforementioned project well before the imposition of curfew on April 19, 2021. The workers are staying on the site and therefore the notification relied upon by the petitioner is fully complied with. The petitioner is fully aware about this fact and he has deliberately suppressed it in the petition,” it said.

    The Centre’s reply came on a petition seeking to stop construction activity on the Central Vista Project in compliance with orders issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority during the subsistence of the peak phase of the pandemic.

    The Central government submitted that while the arrangements for the stay of the workers was being made at the site, permission was sought for transportation of materials and labour from Sarai Kale Khan camp to the work site, including permission for the movement of supervisory staff. It is submitted that the said permission was granted on April 19, 2021, and was valid up to April 30, 2021.

    It submitted that in the meantime, a COVID-19 compliant facility was installed at the worksite itself, to accommodate the 250 workers who had expressed their willingness to stay put and continue the aforesaid work. The facility provides for strict implementation of COVID protocol strictly and also adherence to COVID appropriate behaviour, such as sanitization, thermal screening, physical/social distancing and masking.

    Moreover, the contractor has provided for a health insurance of all the concerned workers against COVID-19 and a separate facility for conducting the RT-PCR test, isolation and medical aid has also been provided at site, the Centre’s affidavit said.

    “More importantly it must be noted that pursuant to there being a dedicated medical facility at the concerned work site, the workers will have access to immediate medical attention and proper care which would otherwise have been extremely difficult, in these unprecedented times considering the burden on our existing medical infrastructure,” read the affidavit.

    “It is submitted that as per para 8 of DDMA order dated 19.04.2021, construction activities during curfew are permitted where labourers are residing on-site. Therefore, in view of the same, it is submitted that the present Writ Petition ought to be dismissed,” it said.

    Earlier in the day, the Delhi High Court said that it will hear tomorrow petition seeking to stop construction activity in Central Vista Project in compliance with orders issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority during the subsistence of the peak phase of the pandemic.

    Meanwhile, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that the Centre has filed a reply to the petition.

    A Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh noted that reply was not on record and directed to bring the Center’s affidavit on record.

    Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra, who was representing the petitioner, told the Court that the issue concern to a specific area where construction is going on unabated. On Monday, the matter was mentioned by senior advocate Siddharth Luthra for preponement of the date of hearing as it was earlier listed for May 17 for a detailed hearing.

    The bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh on Monday asked him to file an application and we will hear the matter tomorrow. Senior Advocate Sidharth Luthra also informed the bench about the Supreme Court direction in this regard.

    On May 7, the Supreme Court urged the Delhi High Court to consider the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by petitioner Anya Malhotra seeking a stay in construction work of the Central Vista project in New Delhi amid the prevailing condition of coronavirus cases across the country and asked High Court to issue orders related to the matter.

    In December 2020, the Central Vista Development Project was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India. The Project intends to revamp 86 acres of land in Delhi, which includes Rajpath, Parliament House, Rashtrapati Bhavan, India Gate, North Block and South Block, Shastri Bhavan, India Gate and Udyog Bhavan.

    The project envisages the construction of a new Parliament building, a common secretariat for central government offices, the Prime Minister’s office and residence, the Special Protection Group building and the Vice-President Enclave. The construction work for the project is being carried out since January 5, 2021, after the Supreme Court dismissed Petitions challenging the project.

  • Not wearing mask amounts to crime in Madhya Pradesh: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said not wearing a face mask amounts to crime and appealed to people to follow appropriate “social behaviour” to check the spread of COVID-19.

    The surge in cases now is due to people lowering their guard, Chouhan said after starting a 24-hour ‘sit-in’ here to spread the awareness among people about following the COVID-19 prevention guidelines.

    The CM launched the “Swasthya Agrah” (health request) at the Minto Hall in Bhopal at 12.30 pm on Tuesday and during his 24-hour ‘sit-in’, he will interact with people online and conduct his official work from the venue.

    “Wearing masks and maintaining social distance are not in our habit. Besides these, we have to take other measures also to control the pandemic. So, I am sitting here for a moral request to make these things a part of people’s habit,” Chouhan told reporters.

    He said it is a “crime” if someone is not wearing a mask, because this also affects the health of others around that person.

    Chouhan said he launched an awareness campaign for wearing masks on Monday.

    “I ensured that me and my family wear masks. The word ‘mask’ means ‘mera aapka suraksha kavach’ (my and your safety shield),” he said.

    The coronavirus cannot be controlled only by government’s efforts, because the infection is being spread by (inappropriate) social behaviour, he said.

    “We are making efforts to arrange facilities to fight the pandemic at the government level, but the infection spread has to be stopped by (appropriate) social behaviour,” he said.

    Chouhan said people became complacent when the viral infection was brought under control in the country a few months back due to efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and launch of the vaccination drive.

    “This has again caused the spread.

    Lockdown is an easy solution, but I don’t consider it right.

    A limited lockdown is ok, but a permanent one is not a solution,” he said.

    The CM said self-discipline is necessary to prevent the spread of the infection, and urged people to wear masks, maintain social distance, wash hands and adopt other precautionary measures.

    Chouhan said his office will function during his 24- hour sit-in campaign.

    “I will review the COVID-19 situation in the state, talk to leaders of various sections of society and religious leaders on awareness about the disease and also hold a cabinet meeting, besides other works, during this Swasthya Agrah,” the chief minister said.

    Chouhan also said he has urged his party (BJP) workers not to come to the venue of his campaign so as to maintain social distance.

    The state government is also making efforts to take the help of volunteers, who can register themselves for assistance in the vaccination process, spread awareness about the prevention norms, and help patients in home and institutional quarantine, he said.