J&K HC directs for action against persons concealing travel history

Taking serious note of some persons concealing their travel history to escape the mandatory quarantine period, Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Tuesday directed the administration to take necessary action against them.

“The authorities of the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh should enforce their notifications, instructions and orders regarding all disclosures including travel history; quarantining and isolation stringently and take strict measures to ensure that all requirements are strictly enforced for containing the spread of coronavirus disease,” the high court said in its order.

Hearing a plea through video conferencing from Srinagar, a bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Sindhu Sharma said judicial notice can be taken of the several complaints being made in the electronic and the print media with regard to persons who are concealing their foreign travel history to escape the mandatory quarantine, even though they are required to disclose the same.

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“Some of such persons have been found to be infected and huge public resources have been expended on tracking, not only these persons, but their several contacts during the period up to their detection,” the order read.

The high court also directed the BSNL to make every effort operationalize the video conferencing facilities in all courts within the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh at the earliest.

The court directed the Public Health Engineering secretary to look into the water supply roster and ensure an equitable distribution of water to all residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

A similar examination may be undertaken in the Union Territory of Ladakh as well for maintaining proper hygiene, the order read.

The Department of Social Welfare was directed to ensure that best possible care is given to Old Age Homes, Observation Homes, Nari Niketans, Bal Ashrams, Orphanages, Blind schools and other such institutions.