Snehal Upadhyay-
The Patna High Court observed that the state government is hesitating enough to put the actual number of deaths caused due to COVID-19 in the public domain.
This observation was made by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice S Kumar while hearing a PIL filed by Shivani Kaushik and other cases over covid managements.
The observation made by the Court was that, “For whatever reasons, the state government is most reluctant to put the COVID-19 death count in the public domain. In our considered view, the resistance is uncalled for, for such action is neither protected by any law nor is in consonance with settled principles of good governance.”
The Court stated that transparency is a key and a core principle of good governance. As to today’s era where the Centre and the State are working together to make a digital India and National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy (NDSAP), 2012 is at its success still not disclosing the number of deaths is not a good sign given by the government it’s the duty of the state to disclose the number of the deaths due to COVID-19 either voluntarily or as mandated by law.
The Court also ordered the state government to look upon the healthy surroundings by making proper sanitization for the people, particularly in the rural areas.
