Plea Seeking Setting Up COVID Vaccination Centres In RWA Offices: Delhi High Court Asks Govt To Consider Representation

The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Centre and the Delhi Government to consider as representation the plea seeking setting up vaccination centres in RWA Offices, Residential Societies and NGO Compounds to ensure minimum exposure to covid for people going for vaccinations.

A division bench comprising of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh asked the authorities to take a decision in accordance with the law, rules, regulations and government policy.

The plea, filed by Ashish Kumar and moved through Advocates Avani Bansal, Abhinav Garg, Anshul Kumar and Bhanu Pratap, highlights the current situation at hospitals and dispensaries having "high probable chances of people being affected and further exposed to COVID."

Stating that the Delhi Government is operating Vaccination Centres in approximately 76 Government Schools "which is still not sufficient to vaccinate a large number of people", the plea reads thus:

"While the set- up of Vaccination Centres in Schools, is a good decision by the State Government and in the same spirit as this petition, they are not sufficient to ensure vaccination for all the people of Delhi with minimum exposure of COVID. There are still long queues at Vaccination Centres set up in schools which make the need for setting up similar vaccine centres extremely important."

Taking the example of vaccination camps being set up at condominiums and residential societies in Gurugram and Faridabad, the plea states that having vaccination drives nearby home premises, will not only help relieve the stress but will also encourage more people to get the vaccines, by encouraging them to see their neighbours do the same.

"Allowing societies, companies, organisations to come forward and support the vaccination drive will help the communities come together and support the government, thereby discharging their Fundamental Duties, especially under Art. 51 (e), (h) and (j). It will also help maintain social distance, avoid long queues and due to smaller number of people at of these centres – it will easier to take better precaution measures, every step of the way" the plea states further.

The plea seeks the following prayers:

- Issue a writ, order or directions in the nature of mandamus to the Respondents for setting up Vaccination Centers in RWA offices, Residential Societies, NGO compounds and other organisations to ensure minimum exposure to COVID for people going for vaccinations.

- Issue a writ, order or directions in the nature of mandamus to the Respondents to review and assess current available infrastructure and facilities for vaccination, in a scientific manner and as per international standards.

- Issue a writ, order or directions in the nature of mandamus to the Respondents to take proper and adequate measures to control and combat the menace of Coronavirus.

- Issue a writ, order or directions in the nature of mandamus to the Respondents for setting up a monitoring committee under the supervision of experts in the field, to ensure effective, swift vaccination drive in Delhi, with minimum COVID exposure to the people of Delhi.