Centre’s officers in ivory towers, don’t know ground realities: HC

Centre’s officers in ivory towers, don’t know ground realities: HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:19.05.2021

The Centre’s officers are living in “ivory towers” oblivious of ground realities that Covid-19 has not spared a single family, Delhi High Court said on Tuesday, after getting to know that an Indian firm collaborating with Sputnik vaccine makers of Russia is being starved of funds by the Centre.

“Which bureaucrat is giving you instructions? Is he not alive to the situation? God bless this country. That is why we are facing this situation. In such matters instructions are need to be taken from the highest authorities, that, too, within 30 minutes,” the court said, highlighting that such partnership attempts with foreign vaccine manufacturers are an opportunity to the nation facing shortage of vaccines.

“Tell your officers it is an opportunity for you, don’t lose it. The virus has not spared any single family. Your officers are living in ivory towers,” a bench of justices Manmohan and Navin Chawla remarked.

“Does your officer not see so many deaths are taking place in the country and we are short of vaccines? You are so short of vaccines and you are not taking it through. Maybe it is an opportunity for you. Don’t be so negative. It is like a raging fire and nobody is bothered. You people don’t understand the larger picture or what,” the court fumed.

“No one is applying its mind” when there is an opportunity for the government to get millions of vaccines, the bench said. “Otherwise, deaths will continue to happen. Every day you are castigated by each and every court and still you are not awake.”

HC’s reaction came after reports that the Indian firm collaborating with Sputnik makers is being starved of funds