KOCHI: The state government has filed an appeal before the high court challenging a single bench’s judgment setting aside its order to reduce the rate of RT-PCR test for Covid-19 from Rs 1,700 to Rs 500.
The government is challenging the single bench’s judgment of October 4 through which it was asked to fix the rate afresh after discussing with laboratories.
Considering the government’s appeal, a division bench led by Chief Justice S Manikumar has directed for sending notices to the labs that were the petitioners before the single bench.
The single bench had held that the statutory provisions relied on by the government to issue the order fixing RTPRC rate at Rs 500 did not authorize it to do so.
Following the single bench’s judgment, the government had held discussions with laboratories on October 20 and had issued a new order on November 1 fixing the rate at Rs 500.
Considering the government’s appeal, the division bench asked whether an appeal against the single bench is maintainable as the rate has been fixed again as directed in the single bench’s judgment.
However, the government has contended that it is questioning the single bench’s findings and observations adversely affecting it, including the one that the government does not have the power to fix rates. The court will hear the case again after three weeks.
