Anadi Tewari
The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday (11 May) has directed the formation of a 3-member Pandemic Public Grievance Committee in every district of the State of Uttar Pradesh.
The bench of Justices Siddhartha Varma and Ajit Kumar was hearing a public interest suo-moto case when several advocates appearing in the case had requested the Court to direct the State Government to open a Public Grievance Cell in every district so that grievance of the people can be addressed locally.
Even the learned Additional Solicitor General and Additional Advocate General submitted that they had no objection in case if Public Grievance Cell at every district level is formed where people can directly approach and get their complaints registered and examined.
Composition of the Pandemic Public Grievance Committee
The Public Grievance Committee amidst this pandemic shall include:
(i) The Chief Judicial Magistrate or a Judicial Officer of similar rank to be nominated by a district judge.
(ii) Professor of a Medical College to be nominated by the Principal of Medical College; OR
(iii) If there is no medical college then
a level-3/4 doctor of district hospital to be nominated by Chief Medical Superintendent of that district hospital and an administrative officer of the rank of Additional District Magistrate to be nominated by the District Magistrate.
The order of the Court reads:
“We, accordingly, direct that in every district of the State three-member Pandemic Public Grievance Committee shall be formed and that would include Chief Judicial Magistrate or a judicial officer of similar rank to be nominated by the District Judge, Professor of a Medical College to be nominated by the Principal of Medical College and if there is no medical college then a level-3/4 doctor of district hospital to be nominated by Chief Medical Superintendent of that district hospital and an administrative officer of the rank of Additional District Magistrate to be nominated by the District Magistrate.”
The 3-member Pandemic Public Grievance Committee shall come into existence within 48 hours of the passing of the Court’s order and necessary directives to this effect shall be issued by the Chief Secretary U.P. to all the District Magistrates.
“In rural areas, complaints can be made directly to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of concerned Tehsil who shall transmit the same to the Pandemic Public Grievance Committee. The Pandemic Public Grievance Committee shall also take the trouble of looking into all the viral news itself,” the order of the Court stated.
Case: In-Re Inhuman Condition At Quarantine Centres And For Providing Better Treatment To Corona Positive v. State of U.P. [PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION (PIL) No. 574 of 2020]