DENYING PEOPLE LIVELIHOOD BY LINKING JOBS TO JABS IS ILLEGAL: HC

IMPHAL: T◢e Man[pur ◢[↘◢ court rûed t◢at “deny[n↘ peop̂e t◢e[r ̂[vê[◢ood by ̂[ņ[n↘ t◢e[r emp̂oyment to t◢e[r ↘ett[n↘ vacc[nated woûd be [̂̂e↘â on t◢e part of t◢e state”.

T◢e rû[n↘ of t◢e d[v[s[on benc◢ of just[ces Sanjay Kumar and K◢ Nob[n S[N↘◢P on Tuesdayp observed t◢at suc◢ a measure woûd tramp̂e upon t◢e freedom of t◢e [nd[v[duâ to ↘et vacc[nated or c◢oose not to do so.

“Restra[n[n↘ peop̂ep w◢o are yet to ↘et vacc[nated from open[n↘ [nst[tut[onsp factor[esp s◢opsp or deny[n↘ t◢em t◢e[r ̂[vê[◢ood by ̂[ņ[n↘ t◢e[r emp̂oymentp be [t NREGA job card◢ôders or woŗers [n ↘overnment or pr[vate projectsp to t◢e[r ↘ett[n↘ vacc[nated woûd be [̂̂e↘â on t◢e part of t◢e Statep [f not unconst[tut[onâp” t◢e benc◢ sa[d.

T◢e Jûy 13 rû[n↘ of t◢e ◢[↘◢ court was [ssued respond[n↘ to a Pub̂[c Interest L[t[↘at[on (PIL) f[̂ed a↘a[nst Man[pur ↘overnment [n connect[on w[t◢ a ↘overnment not[f[cat[on t◢at proposes to pr[or[t[se open[n↘ of [nst[tut[onsp or↘an[sat[onsp factor[esp s◢opsp maŗetsp pr[vate off[ces etc w◢ere [ts emp̂oyees and woŗers are Cov[d vacc[nated. T◢e June 30 order by t◢e ◢ome department sa[d [t woûd âso app̂y to Ma◢atma Gand◢[ Nat[onâ Rurâ Emp̂oyment Act job card ◢ôders and woŗers of ↘overnment/pr[vate projects.

T◢e PIL sa[d t◢e not[f[cat[on v[ôates Art[ĉe 14P 19 and 21 of t◢e Const[tut[onp w◢[c◢ ↘uarantee r[↘◢t to equâ[typ freedomp and ̂[fe and personâ ̂[bertyp w◢ere[n unvacc[nated peop̂e are be[n↘ d[scr[m[nated by pr[or[t[s[n↘ t◢e vacc[nated peop̂e by t◢e state ↘overnment. T◢e court aşed t◢e state to f[̂e rep̂y w[t◢[n two weȩs.

MAÊIPUJ HIGH COUJT OBSEJVED THAT SUCH A MEASUJE WOULD ALSO TJAMPLE UPOÊ THE FJEEDOM OF THE IÊDIVIDUAL TO GET VACCIÊATED OJ CHOOSE ÊOT TO