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Covid protocol being followed at TN manufacturing units: HC told
Chennai: Automobile major Renault-Nissan and Wipro Infrastructure in their affidavits submitted to the Madras high court on Monday said that Covid-19 protocol is being maintained at their manufacturing units to ensure the safety of all workers
Chennai: Automobile major Renault-Nissan and Wipro Infrastructure in their affidavits submitted to the Madras high court on Monday said that Covid-19 protocol is being maintained at their manufacturing units to ensure the safety of all workers.
The companies submitted the affidavits in response to petitions filed by workers of Renault vehicle manufacturing facility at Oragadam and Wipro at Irungattukottai. The petitioners had approached the court against the state government granting exemption to automobile and certain industries from the ongoing lockdown. The petitioners complained that contract labourers and trainees are being exploited and that transport facilities are not made available to them despite their daily attendance.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy in its orders said that it appears that it’s a policy decision of the state to allow certain industries to function and due consideration would have been given to choose those industries. “...unless it is shown that such a decision is absurd to the meanest mind, the court in exercise of the authority under Article 226 of the Constitution may not seek to interfere in such a case,” the bench said. While noting that the state should take immediate steps in case safety norms aren’t followed in the exempted industries, the court adjourned the hearing to May 24 for the state to file its affidavit.
Covid preparedness
Taking up the hearing on a suo motu case registered to monitor preparedness for the Covid-19 second wave in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the bench said in its orders that it is unlikely that a full-fledged vaccination drive can be undertaken before adequate supplies are received for Tamil Nadu.
The court also noted that the Central government has filed papers disclosing a letter of May 16 issued by the department of pharmaceuticals and the ministry of health and family welfare enclosing an allocation and supply plan up to May 23. The state-wise allocation of the Remdesivir drug till May 23 indicated 3,50,000 vials for Tamil Nadu and 22,000 for Puducherry. “There appear to be certain anomalies in the distribution, particularly on the basis of the positive cases in several states, and learned Additional Solicitor-General (R Sankaranarayanan) has been requested to look into the basis for the allocation,” the orders read.
From the papers, the court observed that the country is dependent on the import of Tocilizumab drug but the Drugs Controller General indicates availability of alternative domestically produced drugs, such as Itilizumab, Dexamethasone and Methylprednisolone, which are either equivalent to or better than Tocilizumab.
Based on arguments from other lawyers and a citizen appearing in the suo motu case, the court directed the state to look into oxygen allocated to private hospitals and address oxygen needs of those who do not have Covid-19, such as elderly and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Senior advocate and DMK Rajya Sabha MP, P Wilson, submitted during the hearing to consider releasing all prisoners in Tamil Nadu jails on temporary bail. To this, the bench stated that high-powered committees at the instance of the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority and the Puducherry Legal Services Authority should be revived to ensure that there is no overcrowding in the correctional homes.
The court said that particularly undertrials “may be released temporarily on the same lines as indicated in the relevant orders passed by the Supreme Court on March 23, 2020 and May 7, 2021 in Suo Motu Writ Petition (C) No.1 of 2020.” The case has been adjourned to May 20.
Judicial work in subordinate courts suspended
Due to the virus spread, the chief justice passed another separate order saying that all judicial work in subordinate courts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry will be suspended except for remand purposes and unavoidable matters. Litigants and staff have been instructed not to enter court unless necessary and with permission of judge in-charge. The court also directed the state government to suspend all eviction and demolition drives.
