Delhi HC gives time to the govt to file status report on COVID care centre in JNU

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday granted time to Delhi government to file a status report on setting up a COVID care centre inside the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus and questioned as to why it has not acted on it so far.

“You can't keep wasting time. What is Delhi government doing? When things are bad and you are in a soup, you start blaming left right and centre”, Justice Rekha Palli remarked. Delhi government counsel Rizwan stated that the relevant file for setting up the centre was pending consideration and approval.

“We have sent the file to the health department. Delhi government has not filed any status report.”, he informed the court. As the court observed that the approval had been pending for one month, Rizwan assured the court that action would be taken and a status report would be filed within two weeks.

The court was hearing a petition by JNU Teachers Association, JNU Students Association and two faculty members concerning the availability of medical facilities in the campus to deal with COVID19. Advocate Abhik Chimni, appearing for the two associations and the faculty, told the court that in spite of two orders being passed, the Delhi government was yet to set a COVID care centre.

“For a COVID care centre, you don't require so much time. It is not a hospital”, he said. JNU counsel Monika Arora stated that the varsity has already earmarked the space to set up the centre and also agreed to give water and electricity. SDM has to get approval, she added. The court had in May directed that a COVID care centre be set up inside JNU for immediate isolation of those residents who have tested positive as coronavirus cases inside the campus are "quite high".

The order was issued by the court after it was told that a COVID Task Force and the COVID Response Team was already working within the varsity campus. It subsequently sought status reports from Delhi government and JNU administration on the steps taken by them to set up a COVID facility in the campus. The matter would be heard next on August 13