EXPLAIN DECISION TO EASE COVID-19 CURBS FOR EID, SC ASKS KERALA GOVT
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday asked the Kerala government to file its response during the day on an application against the three-day relaxation in Covid-19 restrictions in the state in view of the upcoming Bakrid festival.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced the concessions at a press conference on July 17 and said that in view of Bakrid (Eid-ul-azha) being celebrated on July 21, textiles, footwear shops, jewellery, fancy stores, shops selling home appliances and electronic items, all types of repairing shops and shops selling essential items shall be allowed to open on July 18-20 from 7am to 8pm in category A, B and C areas. In D category areas, these shops can function only on July 19, he said. The areas have been categorised based on test positivity rate.
The matter came up for hearing in the apex court before a bench of Justices R F Nariman and B R Gavai, which also took note of the affidavit filed by Uttar Pradesh government which said that no Kanwar Yatra will be allowed this year in the state due to the pandemic.
After the counsel appearing for Kerala said he would file reply to the application, the bench asked him to do so during the day and said it would take up the matter for hearing as first item on Tuesday.
The application was filed in the matter in which the top court had last week taken cognisance of media reports on the UP government’s decision to allow Kanwar Yatra.
Press Trust of India
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday said hospitals have become like huge real estate industries instead of serving humanity in the face of Covid-19 tragedy while directing that ‘nursing homes’ running from 2-3 room flats in residential colonies which pay little attention to fire and building safety norms should be closed.
The apex court also pulled up the Gujarat government for extending the deadline till July next year for hospitals to rectify the building by-laws violations, and said the “carte blanche” notification was in teeth of its order of December 18 last year and people will continue to die in fire incidents.
“These hospitals have become like a huge real estate industry instead of serving the cause of humanity in the face of human tragedy.
“You (Gujarat government) have been extending the deadline, which cannot be done in view of our December 18, last year order. Hospitals are meant to provide succour to the patients in distress but instead
TOP COURT SAID NURSING HOMES RUNNING FROM 2-3 ROOM FLATS WHICH PAY LITTLE ATTENTION TO SAFETY NORMS SHOULD BE CLOSED
they become money minting machines,” said a bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah. Hospitals have become huge industries at the time of this tragedy and “these kinds of nursing homes, running from two-three room flats in a residential colony, should not be allowed to work”, it added.
“It is better that these hospitals are closed and the state should provide necessary infrastructure. We cannot allow these hospitals and nursing homes to continue working. This is a human tragedy which is taking place,” the bench said while referring to a fire incident in Nashik, Maharashtra, where some nurses and patients were killed last year.
The top court indicated that the Gujarat government will