Patna High Court: A Division Bench of Anil Kumar Sinha and Dinesh Kumar Singh, JJ., addressed a petition with regard non-provision of food and other medical facilities to leprosy patients during the present Lockdown due to COVID-19.
Petition sought issuance of direction to State of Bihar with regard to providing leprosy patients food grains, cooked food, medical facilities, provision of sanitization and to create a hygienic atmosphere for living in their residential area.
Counsel for the petitioner, Gautam Kejriwal submitted that leprosy patients are neither getting proper cooked food/food grains nor medical facilities nor the sanitation facilities nor proper living atmosphere, particularly, during present pandemic COVID-19, as a result, their living has become hazardous. Instead the leprosy patients with rations card are inly being provided food grains
Court asked for a comprehensive report from Member Secretary, Bihar State Legal Services Authority to get a report from the Secretaries of all the District Legal Service Authorities with regard to legal aid, financial aid/transfer of money under various schemes, distribution of food grains, medical and sanitization facilities provided to leprosy patients as well as living conditions of such leprosy patients.
Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar to monitor the present situation, particularly, the issue of the supply of food grains/cooked food/clean drinking water including the medical facilities to leprosy patients.
Matter to be listed on 14-05-2020.[Sam Uttan v. Union of India, 2020 SCC OnLine Pat 523, decided on 04-05-2020]