The High Court of Karnataka on Friday asked the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd to clarify whether it has proposed to make the use of Aarogya Setu app mandatory for passengers to travel in metro rail when it starts operation.
The court also asked the Union government to clarify whether the use of the app as a generic preventive measure in the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for offices and other workplaces, is mandatory.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice M. Nagaprasanna issued the direction while hearing a PIL petition, filed by Anivar A. Aravind, a city-based software engineer working for a non-profit organisation to protect people’s rights in the digital space.
Though the Centre had already clarified to the court that using the Aarogya Setu app was only an option and not mandatory for travelling by air and train, as travellers could submit a self-declaration form instead of using the app, it was contended on behalf of the petitioner that the BMRCL is making the use of the app mandatory for metro, and it is mandatory for staff of certain central government and other offices, and workplaces.
