HIMACHAL HC SEEKS DETAILS ON COVID INDUCED ORPHANS, AND MEASURES FOR MIGRANT LABOUR

SHIMLA: The High Court of Himachal Pradesh has directed the State to furnish the information with regard to the children that have been orphaned or who have lost one of their parents due to Covid-19. The Court also directed to inform as to what action the State has taken in order to help or rehabilitate such children.

The Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Jyotsna Rewal passed these orders on a public interest litigation and other petitions highlighting the inadequate facilities and infrastructure in the State of H.P., to deal with the Corona pandemic.

During the course of hearing , the issue of labour likely to enter the State of H.P., due to impending harvesting season of apples, was also highlighted and the Court observed that the apple plucking season may act as a catalyst for the further spread of COVID.

To this effect, Senior Additional Advocate General submitted that additional efforts and inputs would be put in those districts, wherein the harvesting of apples would take place. He assured the Court that additional care would be taken in order to ensure that the labour that enters Himachal Pradesh for the said purpose is vaccinated with the available resources of the State. He also informed the Court that from now onwards, all tourists would be allowed to enter the State of H.P. only if they have either a negative RTPCR test report or a certificate to the effect that they have taken one/two shot(s) of the vaccine. He also stated that more stringent measures would be taken by the State in the coming days keeping in mind the prevailing situation