This PIL regarding poor facilities at COVID care and quarantine centres is disposed of as the epidemic situation has eased. The court granted self-employment to the petitioner to fund a monitoring committee.
The petitioner was directed to deposit Rs. 50,000/- in this Court, which is allowed to be withdrawn.
This page shows the compact analysis of this judgement. The full analysis — procedural history, issue-by-issue holdings with ratio and obiter, advocates, and paragraph-level evidence for every claim — is being added to the record in batches and will appear here when this judgement has been through it.
1 949-PIL 29-2020.odt
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY BENCH AT AURANGABAD
PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION NO. 29 OF 2020
Mehraj Ahmed Ansari s/o Gazi Salahuddin Ahmed Ansari
.. Petitioner
Versus
The Union of India and others
.. Respondents
Mr. S. S. Kazi, Advocate for the Petitioner. Mr. S. G. Karlekar, AGP for Respondent Nos. 2 and 3. Mr. S. G. Chapalgaonkar, Advocate for Respondent No. 4.
CORAM : S. V. GANGAPURWALA & SHRIKANT D. KULKARNI, JJ.
DATED : 09th DECEMBER, 2020.
PER COURT :-
. Mr. Kazi, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the facilities at the COVID care centres were not properly provided. The patients of COVID-19 are increasing in the city. The suspected COVID19 patients are kept in quarantine centres. Many persons in the COVID care centres have made grievance about improper quality of food. Sometimes even insects are found in the food supplied to these persons. The learned counsel further submits that one of the practicing advocate has filed his affidavit. He was in a quarantine centre for about five days. The conditions were horrible. There are only three washrooms / toilets for all 200 people quarantined. In that period the
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bed sheets were not changed for five days. The drinking water facility was not hygienic. The newspaper reports would also testify the said fact.
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has also permitted home quarantine, as such, the persons in the quarantine centres have also reduced. None the less, the fact remains that the Corporation is expected to provide best of the facilities in these quarantine centres. The Corporation is expected to look after proper hygiene, infrastructure and the basic amenities in these quarantine centres. We record the statement of the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation that if any irregularity is noticed or pointed out, care would be taken to reduce the same on priority basis.
( SHRIKANT D. KULKARNI ) ( S. V. GANGAPURWALA ) JUDGE JUDGE
P.S.B.
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3 issues framed by the court
Whether the purpose of the PIL stands served given the reduction in quarantine cases and passage of time.
Whether the Municipal Corporation fulfilled its duty to ensure hygiene and amenities in quarantine centres.
What relief is appropriate given the statement of the Commissioner regarding priority action on irregularities.
Mehraj Ahmed Ansari
The Union of India
S. V. GANGAPURWALA
SHRIKANT D. KULKARNI
As recorded by the court registry
Litigation brought on behalf of the public interest rather than a personal grievance, relaxing the usual rule of locus standi.
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court
