New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain for not filing an affidavit disclosing the names of officers the AAP government which on Friday last accused certain officers of not cooperating to contain the spread of chikunguniya and dengue diseases in the capital.
A Bench of justices Madan B. Lokur and R.K. Agrawal hearing the suo motu petition relating to chikungunya and dengue cases, did not accept the submissions of counsel for Delhi government that time was not sufficient to file an affidavit giving details of the names of officers.
Justice Lokur told the counsel, “24 hours is more than enough when people are dying of chikungunya and dengue. You had made all claims on that day and now you cannot file an affidavit.”
On September 30, the Delhi government submitted that officers were not willing to take any responsibility and files are sent to the Lieutenant Governor’s office for clearance. The Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognisance of an incident in Delhi concerning the suicide of the parents of a seven-year-old boy Avinash who died of dengue after allegedly being denied treatment by five private hospitals.
Delhi in acute grip of chikungunya
At least 5,293 people have been afflicted with chikungunya in the national capital this season, with an over 43 per cent rise in the number of reported cases of the vector-borne disease in the last one week alone.
Out of the total cases recorded till October 1, over 500 of them have been reported in areas falling under the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. Nearly 3,700 cases were reported in Delhi till September 24, according to SDMC, which tabulates the data for vector-borne disease cases in the national capita.
Among the three corporations, 515 cases in areas under the NDMC, 498 under the South Delhi Municipal Corporation and 172 under the East Delhi Municipal Corpor-ation have been reported.
