COVID-19: Uttar Pradesh Government Says Can't Impose Lockdown In 5 Cities Despite Allahabad High Court Order

Noting that the recent surge of pandemic COVID-19 has virtually incapacitated all medical infrastructure in the State of U.P. and especially in cities like Prayagraj, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur, and Gorakhpur, the Allahabad High Court on Monday (April 19) imposed Lockdown in these cities till April 26.

Today, while ordering lockdown in 5 cities of Uttar Pradesh, the Allahabad High Court made some strong remarks against the state government for not taking adequate preparatory steps "even after one long year of experience and learning".

Issuing a statement, the Uttar Pradesh Government has said,

"Today in the order of the Hon'ble High Court, the spokesman of the UP government has conveyed that the Corona cases have increased in the state and strictness is necessary for the control of the Corona. Government has taken many steps, strict steps are being taken even further."

"Along with saving lives, the livelihood of the poor has to be saved. Therefore, there will not be a complete lockdown in the cities. People are automatically shutting down many places willingly," it added.

The Bench of Justice Ajit Kumar and Justice Siddhartha Varma today observed,

"Before (the Pandemic) further spirals to engulf in it the entire population of these badly hit districts, it is necessary to take some harsh steps in larger public interest."

While imposing the Lockdown, the Court did observe that putting lockdown to public activities was a matter, purely in the nature of the policy decision by the concerned government, however, since no concrete plan had yet been chalked out by the Government of UP, the Court had to step in.

The Court passed the order in a suo moto case taken in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, the bench had passed an elaborate order, including certain suggestions for counter-measures, and had sought the response of the Government.

Today, the bench recorded dissatisfaction at the response of the State Government.

"In any civilised society if public health system i snot able to meet the challenges and people die for want of proper medication, it means there has been no proper development. Health and education go side-by-side. Those in the helm of affairs of governance are to be blamed for the present chaotic health problems and more so when there is a democracy which means a government of the people, by the people and for the people," the Court said.