Provide ration, medicines to residents, HC tells govt

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 14

Taking cognisance of restrictions in place for the last over five days in the Valley, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court today directed the state to provide essential commodities and healthcare facilities to residents.

A Bench of Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Judge Muzaffar Hussain Attar also made it clear that it was the state’s responsibility to see that the people in the Valley were not put to suffering due to want to essential commodities, baby food, medicines etc, while maintaining law and order.

The Bench also asked the Director of Health and Family Welfare, Kashmir, and Director of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, to remain personally present, along with a status report, on Friday morning.

The directions came after a letter was addressed by the J&K Peoples’ Forum, through its general secretary MM Shuja, stating that the people were being put to hardships due to non-supply of essential commodities, including vegetables, baby food, medicines and life-saving drugs, even in the hospitals, due to the imposition of restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC in the Valley.

The party in person, during the course of arguments, submitted that even the government officers, particularly those dealing with the supply of essential commodities — Health and Family Welfare and Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department — were not functioning. Rather, there was nobody to take care of the supply of the items. As such, the court may issue directions to the state government to ensure supply to the people residing in the Valley.

The Advocate-General, present in the High Court, was directed to take notice on behalf of the state and other respondents. The Bench asserted: “As could be seen that restrictions are in place for the last over five days, not only the people residing in the Valley but also the visitors/tourists are put to serious predicament. It is also a fact that several injured persons are admitted to different hospitals for getting treatment.”