Plea In Delhi High Court To Provide Cashless Treatment To Judicial Officers, Court Staff, Family Members

A plea has been moved in the Delhi High Court for providing cashless medical treatment irrespective of the hospitals to judicial officers, court staff members or their immediate family members undergoing treatment and also to provide an immediate reimbursement of the medical expenses already incurred them.

The urgent application is moved by Advocate Tanveer Ahmed Mir in the petition filed by him, wherein notice was issued by the Court yesterday, seeking ex gratia payment to the kith and kin of judicial officers and members of the court staff in tune of Rs. 1 Crore and 50 Lakhs respectively who have lost their lives due to covid 19 virus. 

The urgent application has been filed stating that certain developments have taken place as regards to the large scale infliction of COVID-19 in the judicial and court staff community. 

The plea highlights the unfortunate demise of Mr. Ashu Garg, Registrar General of the National Green Tribunal who recently succumbed to covid 19. Furthermore, the plea also states figures of court staff and judicial members being covid positive.

"It is that at the moment a staggering number of 1039 judicial officers, court staff members and their respective family members stand infected with COVID-19, a large number of them are hospitalised and are paying exorbitant amount of moneys beyond their capacity in order to get themselves and their kith & kin treated." The plea reads.

Stating that the judicial officers have been compelled to spend moneys to the tune of Rs. 7.5 to 10 Lakhs for which they have exhausted all their savings, leave encashments and other resources, the plea further states thus:

"It would not be out of place to mention here that the judicial officers on a monthly basis have been contributing a sum of Rs. 1,000/- from their salaries towards the Delhi Government with an expectation that the said government would take care at least of their medical facilities. However, most unfortunately the official respondents in flagrant and blatant violation of all ethics and a basic human sense have taken no steps whatsoever in at-least seeking to salvage the situation by either providing cashless transactions of medical treatment of all judicial officers, court staff of subordinate court and the court staff of Delhi High Court and the Registry officials as well."

The matter is likely to be listed tomorrow for hearing.