The Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed the State government to step in to handle the ground situation in the city while expressing displeasure over the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s claim that it is ensuring supply of food to needy persons residing in containment zones “as far as practicable”, and it has not restricted movement of people to buy essentials on their own as these zones are “not completely sealed down”.
The BBMP’s claims, made by its Commissioner, are contrary to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued in April and specific circular issued by the government on June 30 on providing food for the needy, and nature and manner of maintaining containment zones, the court noted.
The court also directed the BBMP to submit details of the population and the total area under containment zones in the city.
A special division bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Aravind Kumar issued the direction while hearing through video conferencing the PIL petitions related to issues that cropped up due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BBMP’s statements indicate that there is no total restriction on people going out of their houses in the containment zone, and the civic body will not be able to supply food to all needy persons living in such zones, the bench observed while recording a statement by advocate Shridhar Prabhu, who said that he lives in one of the containment zones and residents in that locality are not allowed to go out of their houses.
The bench termed as “strange” the Commissioner’s statement that food for the needy in containment zones would be supplied “as far as practicable” despite specific directives from the government in this regard.
