The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the Centre's response on a plea highlighting restrictions, due to sealing of borders, on movement for permissible activities in the national capital region (NCR) amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan and comprising Justices S.K. Kaul and M.R. Shah, took up the matter through video conferencing and asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to take instructions from the authorities concerned. The bench asked the petitioner's counsel to serve the copy on the Solicitor General, who could get response from the Centre and the Delhi government. The top court will hear the matter next week.
Advocates representing Haryana and Uttar Pradesh informed the bench that they have already filed response on the matter. The counsel representing Uttar Pradesh cited Covid-19 cases in Delhi and Noida and insisted that authorities are taking necessary precautions.
"Let the affidavit filed by the state of Haryana and state of Uttar Pradesh be brought on the record," said the court.
The plea argued that residents of NCR who have family members or loved ones residing on either side of the inter-state border within the NCR are facing harassment in crossing the border, especially in medical emergencies, access to hospitals/healthcare professionals and essential needs.
The plea was filed in the top court alleging that sealing of borders within NCR, violated the new guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs. On May 15, the top court sought response from Centre, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana.
The plea urged the top court to pass a direction declaring these restrictions by the district administrations of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as unconstitutional.
It cited the April 29 order of district administrations in Haryana, applicable to Gurugram and Sonepat. The plea also highlighted the May 3, public statements by the district administrations of Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad.
( With inputs from IANS )