Delhi HC issues notice on plea claiming mushrooming of beggars can spread COVID-19

The Delhi High Court, on Tuesday issued notice over a petition which claimed that mushrooming of beggars in the national capital can result in the increase of COVID-19 infection. 

A division bench of the high court presided over by Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh sought response from Delhi Government, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), and the Delhi Police. 

The court has now posted the plea filed by Narendra Kumar Singh for further hearing on July 3.

"As mushrooming of beggars in view of current pandemic in the NCT Delhi can spread the disease exponentially as they touch each and every vehicle. Beggars at traffic light points and markets area are Jeopardy as they neither wear mask nor maintain social distancing nor they have any care about hygiene and medication including vaccination," the plea said.

The plea seeks directions to the Delhi government and DUSIB to prepare a road map in order to restrain beggars and vagabond from begging on traffic junction and markets to avoid spreading Covid-19 and rehabilitating them with the help of DUSIB, whereby the respondents have to ensure the food, shelter and basic medical amenities including vaccination of Covid-
19 to them.

It also seeks court's direction to the Delhi Police to temporarily take all the mandatory strict measures to restrict beggars and vagabond from begging at traffic junctions and on market places as they are very convenient carrier of the Corona virus.

"...the beggars and vagabonds are very easy carriers to spread the corona virus as they touch each and every vehicle and live in unhygienic conditions without maintaining norms of social distancing," the plea said.

The plea further states that beggars have no awareness about their exposure to Corona as no one is bothered to conduct any Corona test to them, and furthermore at traffic light points and markets area are in jeopardy as they neither wear mask nor maintain social distancing.