Chikunguniya: SC Shocked As AAP Govt Blames It On Disobeying Officials Who Report To LG

Senior Advocate Ajit Sinha appearing for Lieutenant Governor refuted the charge that officials were not cooperating to fight the diseases as alleged by the Delhi Health Minister.

The Supreme Court today expressed surprise when Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain alleged through an affidavit that officials reporting to Centre were not cooperating and taking responsiblity to check vector- borne disease like dengue and chikungunya in the national capital and asked him to give names and evidence of those officials by October 3.

“You have made a serious allegation in your affidavit. Who are the officials disobeying you? People in Delhi are suffering from dengue and chikungunya. You cannot treat them like this”, a bench headed by Justices M B Lokur said.

An affidavit filed by Jain in response to notices issued to Delhi government on a PIL which was taken suo motu cognisance of by the apex court said officials have not been cooperating to curb the diseases.

Jain, in the affidavit, has said that officials were not taking responsiblity and all files pertaining to diseases like dengue and chikungunya were being sent to LG for clearance.

On September 26, the apex court had sought response from Delhi government on steps being taken to check vector-borne diseases dengue and chikungunya in the national capital. Give the names and evidences of the officials who have been disobeying by Monday. It is a serious matter, the bench told the counsel appearing for Delhi government.

“FILE NAMES”

The counsel sought some time to file the names and evidences and said he would file the names of officials who were not cooperating in a sealed cover. To this, the bench said since you have made the allegation on affidavit, the names and evidences of officials should not be filed in sealed cover. Senior advocate Ajit Sinha appearing for Lieutenant Governor refuted the charge that officials were not cooperating to fight the diseases as alleged by the Delhi Health Minister.

As the number of dengue and chikungunya cases in Delhi skyrocketed, the Supreme Court had on September 26 sought a status report from Delhi government, all three municipal corporations and the NDMC on a PIL which blamed inadequate preventive measures steps for the widespread outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases.

A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and D Y Chandrachud converted a public interest litigation filed by a doctor Anil Mittal into a suo motu matter (court on its own taking interest) and sought responses from these bodies by September 30.

According to the latest figures, 1,568 cases of chikungunya were reported in just one week till September 17 — an increase of nearly 150 per cent over the preceding week.

The bench first contemplated issuing notice to the Centre also but Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi urged the bench to first seek explanation from Delhi government saying the Centre comes into picture only if the government of the union territory failed.