Udaipur : Hearing on a Suo Motu civil writ petition no. 10075/2017 in Petitioner Vs Union of India, a double bench of the High Court at Jodhpur on Thursday passed an order seeking report within a day from the state government on the availability of ration to Pakistani migrants residing in Jodhpur.
The bench chaired by Justice Rameshwar Vyas and Justice Vijay Bishnoi in the order asked district collector, Jodhpur to personally monitor the situation and make sure that ration be made available to them immediately. The court also directed the central government to furnish a factual report regarding the availability of vaccines to the state government for persons who are not having prescribed identity cards. The case would be heard again on Friday.
The matter came upon for consideration on additional submissions on behalf of Pakistan minority migrants staying in Jodhpur wherein it was told that these migrants are staying in India either on short term visa or on long term visa. Though some of the eligible persons have been granted citizenship but matters regarding others is pending consideration.
The petitioners’ counsel SajjanSingh Rathore said that in the submissions, the grievances raised on behalf of the Pak migrants was that in the second wave of COVID-19, the state government has imposed strict lockdown and migrant petitioners living in various camps in Jodhpur have no arrangement to fulfill their basic needs like food, water and primary medical health facility.
“During the first lockdown imposed due to the pandemic, some of the social organizations and NGOs distributed ration kits but during the present second wave, due to strict restrictions, the ration and other essential items have not reached up to the migrants. Also, in the absence of Aadhar Card and other documents, the eligible Pak minority migrants are deprived from vaccination, which is very essential for every human being” Rathore said.
Having gone through the submissions, the court said so far as the process of COVID-19 vaccination of the persons, who are not having prescribed identity cards, is already detailed out by the Central Government and now, it is for the state and district administration to chalk out a plan for vaccinating the migrants. The issue regarding non-availability of ration to the minority migrants is serious one and no person residing in the State can be allowed to starve due to non-availability of food, the court held.