Why can’t vaccinated people be allowed to travel by local train, Bombay HC asks Maha govt

The Bombay High Court asked the Maharashtra government on Monday why people who had received both doses of Covid19 vaccine could not be permitted to travel by local trains in MumbaiWhat was even the purpose of taking both doses of the vaccine if citizens were expected to stay inside their homes even after taking the antiCovid19 jabs a bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni askedThe bench was responding to a submission made by Maharashtra Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni that the state disaster management authority was reluctant to permit all lawyers judicial clerks and court staff to resume local train travelCurrently only frontline health workers and government staff are permitted to use local trains which are considered as the lifeline of MumbaiThe HC was hearing a bunch of public interest litigations filed by lawyers and private persons through senior counsel Milind Sathe advocates Shyam Dewani andAlso read Maharashtra disaster management dept favours opening local trains for vaccinated people Rajesh TopeAlankar Kirpekar among others seeking that lawyers be permitted to travel by local trains and Metro rail to commute to courts and their officesAdvocate Sathe told the HC that since physical hearings have now been resumed by the high court and subordinate courts all lawyers needed to travel by trainsAdditional Solicitor General Anil Singh who appeared for the Railways told the HC that the Western Central and Harbour Railway authorities had agreed to issue monthly quarterly or sixmonthly travel passes to lawyers and court staffSingh said lawyers and other court staff will need a letter from the bar council and the state disaster management authority certifying that they are required to travel by trains and a pass will be issued accordinglyThe disaster management authority however is a bit reluctant This time during the second wave of Covid19 only frontline health workers and government staff is permitted the use of train Kumbhakoni saidA meeting of the authority presided over by the chief minister will be held soon to take a decision he addedAdvocate Kirpekar whose plea also seeks that all citizens who have received both doses of the vaccine be permitted to resume a normal life cited a study issued by the Christian Medical College VelloreHe said as per the study the frontline health workers who had received both doses of the vaccine contracted milder symptoms of Covid19 when compared to those who were yet to receive the vaccineThe HC then directed the state to take the above issues into considerationThe difference between the first situation and now is that the situation has improved because of the vaccine the high court saidAll lawyers are above 18 years of age and permitted to receive the vaccine now So a decision needs to be taken Otherwise what is the benefit of the vaccineOne is not supposed to sit at home even after taking the vaccine Lawyers need to come to court at some point the HC saidIt asked if the state government had a comprehensive plan yet to relax restrictions for fully vaccinated citizensThe Railways is also cooperating so please use your good office We must make a beginning Spread the net wide Not only for lawyers but also people coming from other walks of life the HC saidA comprehensive plan is needed otherwise it is affecting everyone It is affecting ones finances work Look at the condition of roads One takes three hours oneway to travel to Dahisar Why this population using roads cant be permitted to shift back to trains the HC askedThe court will continue hearing the plea on August 5This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever