Give report on vaccination of Pak migrants, HC tells state
Court expresses concern over migrants not getting vaccinated against Covid-19 due to lack of Aadhaar cards
JODHPUR: The Rajasthan high court on Friday directed the state government to submit a detailed report on June 3, complying with the standard operating procedure (SOP) issued by the central government to vaccinate the Pakistani migrants.
The court expressed concern over Pakistani migrants not getting vaccinated against Covid-19 due to lack of Aadhaar cards.
A division bench of Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Rameshwar Vyas also said that the state should ensure that ration material and food packets be made available to all needy Pakistani minority migrants residing in various districts of Rajasthan either through the food supplies department, local bodies or NGOS.
Assistant solicitor general Mukesh Rajpurohit has filed an affidavit of the under secretary, Union ministry of health and family welfare, in which it is stated that the Centre had issued an SOP on May 6 on Covid vaccination of people without having prescribed identity cards. A detailed procedure regarding vaccination of such people have been given through COWIN. After receiving the requisite information from the state and district administration regarding the groups included in the SOP, the vaccines will be provided to them.
The SOP states that District Task Force may identify such groups of persons in respective districts not having any of the prescribed individual photo ID cards with assistance from concerned government departments/ organisations like department of minority affairs, social justice, social welfare etc. The information regarding the identified groups and the number of beneficiaries to be covered, must be collated at the state level and the state government must issue clear instructions for implementation of these SOPS along with the district-wise estimated maximum number of doses to be administered using this special dispensation.
During the hearing, Additional Advocate General (AAG) Karan Singh Rajpurohit told the court that around 25,000 Pakistani minority migrants are at present residing in Rajasthan in various Districts. Every Pakistani minority migrant is not in need of free ration and food because many of the families are self-sufficient. It is further submitted that the district administrations are taking note of the situation and will ensure that no such person will be deprived of ration or food during the period of lockdown.
He added: “So far as the Covid-19 vaccination of the Pakistani Minority migrants is concerned, SOP issued by the Central government is silent regarding the Pakistani minority migrants and, therefore, clarifications are being sought from the Central government regarding the vaccination of Pakistani minority migrants, who have not been granted citizenship till date.”
“We are of the opinion that the SOP on Covid-19 vaccination of persons without prescribed identity cards through COWIN issued by the Central government is elaborate and in no way excluding the Pakistani minority migrants who are eligible for Covid-19 vaccination. We have also noticed that several directions regarding identification of groups of people including in the SOP have been given, but the State has not submitted any details regarding the identification of such groups,” the bench said.
AAG Rajpurohit sought some time to furnish details regarding the steps taken by the state in every district as per the procedure given in Clause 5 of the SOP.
In an ealier hearing, Amicus curiae Sajjan Singh Rathore told the court that Pakistan migrants who are staying in India either on short-term or long-term visa are still waiting for vaccination.
The vaccine is given on registration through Aadhaar number. Since Pakistan migrants are not having Aadhaar cards, they are not given vaccines.
Rathore said that under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna (PMGKAY), 5 kg wheat/rice and 1kg channa (chickpea) will be given every month to each family free of cost. A person with a ration card will be eligible for the benefit. The Pakistan minority migrants are not getting free grain since they are not having ration card.
Welcoming the court’s order, Hindu Singh Sodha, president of Seemant Lok Sangathan which is fighting for the basic rights of Pakistani migrants, said, “We had been demanding this for a long time. Now we have hope.”