Chandigarh(Ramanjit Singh)– High Court directs Punjab Government to take expeditious decision on representation submitted by the petitioner for exempting the pregnant women, the women with small children and persons with co-morbidities from active dutyin Government offices:
A PIL filed by Advocate H.C. Arora, came up hearing before the Division Bench of the High Court comprising the Chief Justice and Justice Arun Palli today. The HC Bench, after hearing the petitioner and the Government Counsel, directed the respondent-State of Punjab to take expeditious decision on the representation dated 18.5.2020 submitted by the petitioner to the Chief Secretary, Punjab, seeking exemption of pregnant women, women with small children and persons with co-morbidities from active duty in the offices.
The petitioner in his representation dated 18.5.2020 addressed to the Chief Secretary, Punjab, had stated that as per MHA guidelines issued on 30.5.2020, the persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women, and children below the age of 10 years should stay at home except for essential and health purposes. The petitioner had further submitted in his representation that once the children below the age of 10 years are required to stay at home as per MHA guidelines, such children require the attendance/attention of at least one parent, and that being so, the female employees having a child below the age of 10 years, deserve to be directed to stay at home, instead of joining the office for official duties. Likewise, the petitioner had further pointed out in the representation that several District Magistrates in the State of Punjab are directing all employees including the aforesaid categories of employees, who are vulnerable to corona infection to attend their offices/schools and thus, according to the petitioner, the provisions contained in guidelines issued by MHA are being violated thereby exposing the aforesaid vulnerable section of employees, both female and male to the risk of corona virus.