Issue fresh go on congregations within 24 hours: Telangana High Court

Hyderabad: The High Court Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy on Wednesday heard a batch of public interest litigations on Covid-19.

The Chief Justice bench expressed its deep concern and dismay over GO dated 16-11-2020, which permits 200 persons to congregate following Covid-19 norms and the District Collectors concerned and heads of local bodies were authorised to permit congregations and during this period, implementing such a GO will be unsafe for the people of Telangana.

CJ Hima Kohli directed the State government to issue a fresh GO in this regard, wherein 50 persons should be restricted for marriages and 20 persons for funerals. Necessary GO in this regard should be issued by the State government without losing any time within 24 hours.

Due to the tremendous increase in the number of positive cases in Telangana, while referring to the Health Bulletins of the State, CJ Hima Kohli said "Adhering to the letter dated 25-4-2021 of the Union Health Ministry to the State governments, the Telangana government has imposed restrictive measures on the advice of the Central government namely, including night curfew which shall remain in force till May 8, 2021 till 5 am.

Further, looking at the critical situation that the State is in, where the number of cases are mounting and fatality rate also increasing, the State government shall review the situation well before May 8 and consider imposing an additional restrictive measures besides those restrictions imposed through GO 87, dated 20-4-2021 and GO 91 dated 30-4-2021, which may include extending the hours of the night curfew or imposing weekend lock down so as to flatten the curve of Covid-19 in the State, CJ said in the order.

Chief Justice Hima Kohli directed the Additional Solicitor General of India to ensure that the Central government supplies 600 metric tonnes the Telangana State as it has supplied only 300 metric tonnes of Oxygen, which it has requisitioned as there is a huge demand in the state.

CJ further directed the Additional Solicitor General of India ensure that the Central government, supplies requisite number of Remdesivir lifesaving drugs to the Telangana State.

Chief Justice Hima Kohli directed the Director General of Police to create separate Help Centres at the government hospitals as well as at private hospitals so that police in coordination with self-help groups can reach out to the patients and people in distress, who throng hospitals with corona patients, seeking any nature of assistance.

CJ directed the State government to step up testing to one lakh per day and further press into service the Mobile testing vans to get more testing done in all the 186 micro containment zones.

CJ directed the Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad to advise the State government to consider seizure of vehicles of the people, who do not wear face mask properly. Apart from imposing Rs 1,000 fine, such violators vehicles should be seized for at least 24 hours.

DGP M Mahender Reddy informed the Bench that cases are booked against the organisers, owners of banquet halls and hosts, when the norms of covid-19 i.e., social distancing is not followed by the guests as booking cases against the individuals is creating some social tension to which the CJ agreed upon.

For further hearing, the matter was adjourned to May 13.