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After receiving flak from all sides, the Delhi government has withdrawn the order issued a day ago where a 5-star hotel was asked to reserve its 100 rooms as a Covid Care for the judges, judicial officers and their family members, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia informed on Tuesday.
Sisodia said that the “directions have been issued to withdraw the order immediately.”
The Delhi HC on Tuesday took the suo motu cognisance of the order which stated 100 rooms of Ashoka Hotel in Chanakyapuri have been converted into a COVID health facility for judges of Delhi HC on its request.
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A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said, “No communication has been made to anyone in this regard”.
“We have not made any such request for taking over facilities of a five-star hotel,” the bench said and directed the Delhi government to “take corrective steps immediately”.
An order issued by the sub-divisional magistrate of Chanakyapuri on April 25, it was stated that the COVID facility at Ashoka Hotel will be associated with Primus Hospital.
The order also said that the facility was being set up at the request of the Delhi HC. The Statesman had reported about the controversial order.
“The order is issued from the office of the sub-divisional magistrate, Chanakyapuri. “I, Geeta Grover, Incident Commander/SDM, Sub-division Chanakyapuri in the exercise of the power conferred under Act/Regulations mentioned above and in the overall imminent public interest, do hereby require the use of Hon’ble justices and judicial officers of Delhi High Court and their families and place at the disposal of Primus Hospital, Chanakyapuri, with immediate effect,” the order copy read.
However, after much criticism from the judiciary and the general public, the government finally scrapped the order.
The official sources in the Delhi government said that CM Arvind Kejriwal and Sisodia were not aware of the release of any such order.
“They did not even receive the order copy. However, once it came to their knowledge, Sisodia asked to investigate the matter,” an official said.
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