The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to set up committees in every district to ensure smoother, greater and more effective functioning of the quarantine centers.
The bench comprising of Justices Shashi Kant Gupta and Saurabh Shyam Shamshery ordered: “We, further direct the Chief Secretary, State of Uttar Pradesh to set up a three members committee in every district to ensure smoother, greater and more effective functioning of the quarantine centers.”
The Bench added that “this Committee shall not only to supervise the functioning but to see that the Quarantine Centers are properly maintained, controlled and administered and also provide help, assistance, guidance in the wake of difficulties and problems faced by the persons, who are quarantined”.
The court passed these directions while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a Delhi-based lawyer who pointed out that the members of Tablighi Jamat, who had completed their quarantine period, were not being released by the state.
Additional Advocate General Manish Goyal, appearing on behalf of the UP Government, told the Court that “3001 members (Indians) of the Tablighi Jamat, have been released by the State from the Quarantine Centers, however, 21 members out of them have been detained in Jail, as such, none of the members of the Tablighi Jamat are in Quarantine Centers”.
When petitioner failed to disclose names of those Tablighi Jamat members who have not been released from quarantine centres, the Court said, “We find no reasons to disbelieve the statement made by the learned Additional Advocate General, Mr.Manish Goyal appearing on behalf of the State.”
The High Court also asked the UP government that the district-level quarantine centre monitoring committees shall further ensure that the persons, who have completed quarantine period, are released forthwith provided they have tested negative after completing quarantine period and there is no legal impediment in releasing them.