High Court Seeks Delhi Govt's Stand On Infrastructure, Medical Staff In COVID Care Facility Inside JNU

The Delhi High Court has sought the stand of Delhi Government with respect to the infrastructure and medical staff facilities in the proposed COVID care facility inside JNU campus.

Justice Rekha Palli granted time to the Delhi Government to seek instructions in the matter and posted it for further hearing on January 13.

The development came after Advocate Abhik Chimni appearing for the petitioner, JNU Teachers Association, apprised the Court that even though JNU had already earmarked a space in the Sabarmati Dormitory for setting up of a Covid Centre in the Campus, the situation on the ground remains the same as was on August 13.

He submitted that till date, no infrastructure or medical staff had been earmarked by the Delhi Government for the proposed Covid Centre.

The Court was dealing with a writ petition filed by the Students Union and the Teachers Union at JNU as also two of its Professors, seeking various directions to the Respondents including a direction for setting up COVID care facilities in the University Campus, as also a COVID response team, and certain Oxygen facilities inside the University Campus premises.

Earlier, the Court had granted time to the petitioner in order to respond to the claim of the University and the Delhi Government that the Covid care centre has been made operational inside its campus.

The Court had also sought response of the Delhi Government on its proposal with respect to the above demand and had questioned its conduct for not expediting the proposal even after lapse of over a month.

The petitioners argued that due to the outbreak of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, around the second week of April, the Petitioners wrote several letters to the Registrar of the Respondent University, the Vice-Chancellor of JNU as also the ADM/ SDM of the concerned area seeking immediate intervention.

However, there was no response from any of the said authorities, and on any of the concerns raised by the Petitioners, thus, the petition was filed.

Noting that the COVID Task Force and the COVID response Team is already working within the JNU campus, Justice Pratibha Singh had issued directions in the matter after observing that setting up a dedicated 'COVID Care Centre' would enable such affected persons to immediately isolate and for their basic parameters to be monitored.

During the previous hearing in May end, the Court had asked the University and Delhi Government to file fresh status report on the progress made in this regard.

The Court had previously pulled up JNU administration for not reacting with "swiftness and alacrity", as COVID cases continue to rise.

Case Title: JNU Teachers' Association & Ors. v. JNU & Anr.