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Covid facilities: High court seeks Delhi govt response on plea by banquet hall owners
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Delhi government to respond to concerns raised by owners of more than 100 banquet halls, who are challenging
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Delhi government to respond to concerns raised by owners of more than 100 banquet halls, who are challenging the administration’s move to convert them into Covid facilities in order to meet the increasing demand for beds as coronavirus cases spike in the capital.
Justice Jayant Nath asked the Delhi government to file a short reply after advocate Sachin Chopra, who is representing the banquet halls, told the court that the government had already readied 20,000 beds for mild or asymptomatic patients, of which only 50 had been used. Chopra said while 10,000 beds had been created at the Radha Soami Beas Satsang facility, 8,000 beds have set up in 500 train coaches.
The Delhi government initially plans to use eight banquet halls as Covid facilities and make space for at least over 1,100 beds in such spaces across the city. These eight are part of the 77 banquet halls identified and requisitioned by the Delhi government. At first eight halls will be used and if the need arises, the rest would be roped in.
Highlighting the problems faced by banquet halls, Chopra said these facilities are not feasible to be used as Covid care centres because there are only 4-5 common toilets that are used by everyone.
The court, at this point, interjected and said, “Why can’t it (banquet hall) be converted into a Covid care centre? It has a big hall which can be used. It is for the government to decide on the permutations and combinations of how the facilities can be used.”
Advocates Ashutosh and Ayush Gupta, appearing for another petitioner, said no standard operating procedures (SoPs) had been followed by the government while taking the decision.
Appearing for the Delhi government, additional standing counsel Satyakam told the court the decision was taken due to the increasing number of cases in the city.
Delhi had till Wednesday recorded 89,802 cases of Covid-19.
Satyakam said that in any case, the halls were not functional at present and the government had not granted them permission to operate even though a gathering of not more than 50 people had been allowed for marriages.
After the arguments, the court asked the Delhi government to file its reply and posted the matter for July 7.
The hall owners contended they had bookings for marriages. They argued that the government’s June 12 order to convert banquet halls into extended Covid hospitals was contrary to the law and liable to be quashed.
