SC to hear case on Covid services and supplies

U.P. VILLAGERS CHASE AWAY MEDICAL TEAM

With Justice D. Y. Chandrachud back after recovering from Covid, the Supreme court will take up for hearing on May 31 after a gap of 18 days, the suo motu matter relating to the management of the distribution of essential supplies and services during the pandemic.

The matter was listed on May 10 but due to technical glitches disrupting the hearing through video conferencing, the matter was adjourned for May 13. However, it could not be taken up on May 13 as Justice Chandrachud had tested positive for Covid.

The matter is being heard by a bench comprising Justice Chandrachud, Justice L. Nageswara Rao and Justice S. Ravindra Bhat.

Now the matter is listed for hearing on May 31.

The hearing slated for Monday assumes importance as the focus of the hearing will be the Centre’s affidavit of May 9, which had defended market driven differential pricing of Covid vaccines asserting that it will incentivize demand, lead to higher production, competition and attract overseas investors.

The Centre has told the top court to keep off from the executive domain, as an “Any overzealous, though well-meaning judicial intervention may lead to unforeseen and unintended consequences, in absence of any expert advice or administrative.”

The Centre had further said that in such “grave

Barabanki

29: Peeved at being refused ration for not undergoing Covid tests, villagers in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district chased away a medical team with sticks, police said on Saturday.

The team of the Kothi community health centre was conducting tests on Friday at the ration shop in Kotwa village, around 50 km east of Lucknow.

Though some people got the tests done, others who came later refused to give samples. The shop owner said he would give them ration only after they got the tests done, but they did not relent, according to police.

As the shop owner kept on insisting, the villagers turned furious and brought out sticks from their homes. They chased away the health centre employees. and unprecedented” crisis, the “wisdom of the executive should be trusted”.

The stand spelt out by the Centre in its May 9 affidavit is contrary to April 30, order of the top court directing the Centre to go for centralized procurement and decentralized distribution of Covid vaccine. The April 30 order was authored by Justice Chandrachud.

The court had asked the Centre to revisit its differential pricing of the Covid vaccine.