Government cannot halt vaccination, ensure inoculation of all in an equitable manner: Chhattisgarh HC

In a setback to the Bhupesh Baghel government, the Chhattisgarh high court has held that the state government cannot halt the process of Covid vaccination and directed to ensure vaccination for all in a ratio of 33% for inoculation of people in the 18-44 age group.

The high court direction came after the state government temporarily stopped vaccination of 18-44 age group following the court’s earlier directive to come up with a clear policy for vaccination of all in an equitable manner while hearing a bunch of petition challenging a state government order fixing priority in vaccination of economically weaker sections.

Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) president Amit Jogi, a former legislator, and four others had moved intervention applications in the High Court challenging the state government order of April 30 through which it had fixed priority in vaccination of ‘ Antodaya’ or economically weaker sections in the age group of 18-44 years. The intervenors argued that such a ‘reservation like priority’ in vaccination is bad in law.

As the high court, during the last hearing, directed the state government to come up with a clear policy fixing an equitable ratio for vaccination for all, the state government immediately ordered stopping of vaccination process till Friday—the date fixed by the High Court for the next date of hearing.

Reacting to the high court directive, intervenor JCC( J) president Amit Jogi termed the decision as a victory of justice and hoped the state government would make sincere efforts to change its policy from “ vaccine for none” to “ vaccine for all.

He said the high court dismissed the Chhattisgarh government's decision to stop the vaccination as wrong and unfair and said, "the government has to ensure that a maximum number of people are vaccinated every minute to protect the lives of the people.”

The court also issued oral instructions to the government to immediately start vaccinating people from all three economic classes of Antyodaya, BPL and APL in equal ratio till such time that the state government files its detailed policy report on vaccination drive.

The written order is expected to come by this evening.