Still unexplained
The hunt for the origins of Covid-19 has for the past four years been a tangled web of politics, power struggles, and international finger-pointing.
Punjab and Haryana Court on Sunday stamped relaxations granted by the Chandigarh administration daily for eight hours amid the curfew to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus.
Through a video conference, the court dismissed a petition seeking dismissal of the order. The court said the order was a ‘policy matter’.
However, at the same time, the bench of Justices Rajiv Sharma and RK Jain asked the authorities to observe a physical distance while providing the essential items.
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The administration was also asked to monitor and regulate the process by taking stringent action against the violators.
“The administration’s order of March 27 to relax curfew was valid and issued in the larger public interest and the scope of judicial interference in a policy matter was very limited,” the court observed.
“The Chandigarh administration has weighed all the pros and cons before making the decision. We will not substitute our wisdom for the wisdom of the administration during this crisis,” the bench said.
“Maintaining social distance is a sine qua non to control the disease. The administration may also solicit the opinion of the specialists of infectious or communicable diseases while taking a decision,” the bench added.
The decision to open all essential item shops from 10 am to 6 pm was taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of VP Singh Badnore, Governor, Punjab and Administrator, Chandigarh, on March 27.
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