The Bombay High Court recently remarked that with the coronavirus pandemic here to stay, how will those with hearing and speech disability be recognised with their masks.
On March 24, a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G.S. Kulkarni was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by Lokshahivadi Balasaheb Sarode Smruti Prabodhan Upakram in Pune through advocate Ajinkya Udane. The petition said since wearing masks had been made mandatory and fines were being imposed on those violating the order, “the PIL requests for a uniformity of fines, accountability and transparency in the use of such collected funds”.
The petitioners also sought that the government provide masks free of cost to those who cannot afford to buy them and said, “the huge amounts collected by [way of fines] shall be utilised in providing stickers for the deaf and mute people on their masks so to help them in better communication and identification”.
Advocate Asim Sarode also appearing for the NGO informed the court that various authorities like the police, municipal corporation, nagar parishad and even solid waste management committees are collecting fines ranging from ₹100 to ₹1,000 and crores of rupees have been collected in the form of fines. He urged the bench to pass a direction for all government authorities to submit before the court the total amount collected as fines.
He said when the authorities impose fines on people for not wearing masks at public places they should also immediately provide them with masks. Citing the seminal book Everybody loves good drought by renowned journalist P. Sainath, Mr Sarode said the government seems to be exploiting the pandemic situation to mint money.
The court then remarked, “The pandemic is here to stay. We have completely forgotten that there should be some special mask for these persons. How would you otherwise recognise them?”
The court directed the State government to file its reply in the plea and posted the matter to be heard next week.
