Supply essentials to residents of containment zones, Karnataka HC tells BBMP

The high court on Thursday ordered the BBMP to supply essential services and food packets to the needy in Covid-19 containment zones, which now stand at 500.

Citizens can approach the court if the BBMP fails to provide them with essential services, including groceries, a division bench of Chief Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice B V Nagarathna passed the order while hearing PILs on issues related to Covid-19.

“It is the obligation of the BBMP to provide food packets and essentials to needy persons in containment zones as per order on April 14, 2020. Failure to abide by the order of the court and also the order of the state government may amount to (a) violation of fundamental rights of citizens and (a) violation of (the) Article 21 of the Constitution. Citizens then have the right to seek remedy,” the bench stated.

Since people in containment zones cannot step out to earn, the state government must see to it that the BBMP performs its statutory duty to provide food and supply essentials to the doorsteps of those who need them. Besides, the BBMP should take special care of pregnant women in the containment zones, the bench ordered and directed the BBMP to file a compliance report by July 1.

The state government on Thursday informed the court that out of nine lakh migrant workers registered on the Seva Sindhu portal, around 4.6 lakh have left Karnataka by 284 Shramik Special trains as of June 24.

The court directed the Centre to submit details of the number of trains provided by the railways to Karnataka from June 9 till date. It also asked the state government to clarify whether workers who were still in the state despite registering on the Seva Sindhu website will be treated on a par with those who had left by special trains before June 24.