The Uttarakhand High Court’s two learned judges’ chief justice Raghvendra Singh Chouhan and justice Alok Verma have reprimanded the Uttarakhand government for showing utter negligence and ignorance in spreading the dreaded Pandemic in the state by openly flouting the Covid 19 (norms, regulations) the standard operating procedures by not only organising the Mahakumbh first without following or adhering to Covid 19 protocols but thereafter repeating the same blunder when the portals of the shrines were opened.
The seriously annoyed two judges bench said that all the SOPs related to pandemic Covid 19 were openly flouted during the opening of the portals of historic Shrines Badrinath and Kedarnath. As per news live, the chief justice Raghvendra Singh said that he had personally seen the vedios on social media and observed that the norm of maintaining physical distancing have not been observed on the opening days of portals of these shrines as 23 priests entered the temple.
No social or physical distancing, saints’ mouth closer to each other, no masks amounting to open violation of Covid 19 protocols with the law enforcing agency taking no action whatsoever during Mahakumbh, Shahi Snan
The chief justice said how can you allow 23 priests together even if the deity is to be worshipped. Who is the person appointed to monitor all this chief justice asked. The chief justice Raghvendra Singh asked not only this but added that Mahakumbh was organised first not adhering to Covid 19 protocols ( SOPs) and this time the opening of the temples flouting the SOPs introduced. He even asked the state govt to hire a chopper and see for themselves what is happening there as quoted by live law. The High Court also criticised the central govt for its callousness in supplying oxygen to Uttarakhand.
It may be recalled that in the month of April when the Shahisnan etc were held at Haridwar Mahakumbh n before n after that, about 1.3 lakh pilgrims were infected with Covid 19, an 1800% horrible spike with the hospitals of Haridwar n elsewhere completely full with shortage of medicines etc.
The home guards, police, officers n other engaged in the government machinery including police etc were also infected who got the Pandemic allegedly spread further in Uttarakhand towns and villages when they reached their respective destinations or with other people coming into their proximity.
Not only this but people from various parts of the country who had come to Haridwar Mahakumbh became super spreaders at the pan India level as well after being infected here.
There are unconfirmed reports of several deaths due to the ongoing pandemic infected during Mahakumbh, that included many Saints n sadhus as well.
The chief minister of Uttarakhand had in one of his alleged statements said that everyone will be cured of Covid after taking a dip in Mahakumbh at Haridwar Ganges. Therefore there is no need to worry.
Today Uttarakhand has 303,940 cases and 5484 Covid 19 deaths though the figure may be more. In a single on Thursday Uttarakhand witnessed 3,658 cases of Covid 19 with 80 deaths.
The High Court had earlier also taken the State govt to task for not preparing itself adequately to counter Covid and stopping the second wave despite warning by the enlightened citizens of the state including the scientists n virologist but unfortunately no heed have been paid by the state government finally leading to yesterday’s single day Covid 19 cases coming to 3,658 numbers with 80 deaths. Sounds shocking indeed.
Kindly recall, in Uttarakhand there are several reports of bulk of inhabitants in interior villages coughing and suffering from fever including throat pain n several dying for want of Covid treatment as there is absolute dearth of chemists shops nearby and hospitals except few district hospitals with adequate medical care n treatment, majority of them converted into private hospitals as in Pauri, with patients being sent to private test labs charging them exorbitantly.
Above Court Pic: Jagran.com
