[BREAKING] Allahabad High Court orders formation of 3-member Pandemic Public Grievance Committee for every district in Uttar Pradesh

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to form a three-member Pandemic Public Grievance Committee in every district of the State to redress grievances of people with regard to COVID-19 issues. .A Division bench comprising of Justice Ajit Kumar and Justice Siddhartha Varma said that the committee would include Chief Judicial Magistrate or a judicial officer of similar rank to be nominated by the District Judge, professor of a medical college to be nominated by the principal of such medical college and if there is no medical college then a level-3/4 doctor of district hospital to be nominated by Chief Medical Superintendent of that district hospital and an administrative officer of the rank of Additional District Magistrate to be nominated by the District Magistrate."This three member Pandemic Public Grievance Committee shall come into existence within 48 hours of passing of this order and necessary directives to this effect shall be issued by the Chief Secretary (Home), U.P. to all the District Magistrates. Similarly in rural areas complaint can be made directly to SDM of concerned Tehsil who shall transmit the same to Pandemic Public Grievance Committee," the Court directed. The Pandemic Public Grievance Committee shall also take the trouble of looking into all the viral news by itself, the Bench added. .The Division bench was hearing suo moto proceedings initiated to examine Covid-19 situation across Uttar Pradesh..The High Court on Tuesday did not approve of the quantum of compensation awarded to families of polling officers who had passed away after getting infected by COVID-19 during election duty. The government had earlier said that they would be given compensation of Rs. 30 lakh. The Court, however, said that the amount of compensation is "very less" considering the fact that the deceased persons had not volunteered to render his/ her services during election but it was made obligatory to those assigned with election duty even while they showed their reluctance."To compensate the loss of life of the bread earner of the family and that too because of the deliberate act on the part of the State and State Election Commission to force them to perform duties in the absence of RTPCR support, the compensation must be at least to the tune of Rs.1,00,00,000," the Court said. .The amount of compensation for families polling officers who had passed away is very less. It must be at least Rs. 1 crore.Allahabad High Court .The Court further directed the Central government and the State government to place as to how it proposes to inoculate those physically challenged persons who cannot be brought to the vaccination centres and those who cannot make online registration.It also asked the State government to "explain as to what is the difficulty with it if it opts to a guideline to inoculate physically challenged persons even in the absence of the Central Government guidelines."Pertinently, the court also questioned as to how illiterate labourers and villagers who are not able to register online, would be vaccinated."The Central Government and State Government are directed to place before this Court the programme by which they would vaccinate those illiterate labours and other villagers between the age group of 18 and 45 years if they are not able to register online for vaccination.".Regarding the issue of medical medical treatment given to late Justice VK Srivastava, the court had earlier directed the authorities to file a report.On Tuesday, the Court noted that the documents show that he was advised life saving drugs Remdesivir, however, the papers do not show whether actually he was administered Remdesiver or not on the first day and subsequent two days.The Court, therefore, formed a committee to conduct a fact finding enquiry about the medical treatment and alleged negligence by the authorities."The Senior Registrar of Lucknow Bench, shall coordinate with Government, SGPGI, Lucknow and Awadh Bar Association in forming the Committee to conduct a fact finding enquiry into the treatment administered to late Justice V.K. Srivastava and submit the report to this Court within two weeks. The Committee shall be constituted within three days from today by the State Government," the Court said. .[BREAKING] Death of COVID patients due to Oxygen shortage nothing less than genocide: Allahabad High Court orders inquiry [READ ORDER].On May 7, the court had directed the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure immediate procurement of vaccines so that everyone in the State can get vaccinated within 3-4 months time.The Court reiterated the importance of vaccinating everyone at the earliest, stating that the same has to be done at war footing."Even in our last order we had made clear that unless and until everyone was vaccinated, nobody was safe. We hope and trust that the State Government would try to purchase as many vials of desired vaccine as possible to vaccinate maximum number and at least more than 2/3 of the population in 2-3 months time," the Court said..[Read Order]