Pondy CS directed to file report on COVID preparedness

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, before whom the plea moved in November seeking total lockdown in Puducherry citing COVID flare up, asked the Chief Secretary to file a report on the four points.

The Chief Justice directed the government pleader to file the report on Monday when the suo motu plea regarding Tamil Nadu’s preparedness in handling the second wave is scheduled to be taken up. The bench added that the report should have the number of Remdesivir injections available, the daily requirement of oxygen and its availability, number of ventilators and vaccine stock.

This should also include private hospitals, the bench said seeking to highlight the preparation in place for counting of votes on May 2.

Seeking imposition of full lockdown in Pondy, the petitioners submitted that the situation did not improve due to the severe differences between the then Lt Governor Kiran Bedi and the elected government.