Virus hit every family but Central govt. officials living in ivory towers, says HC

Virus hit every family but Central govt. officials living in ivory towers, says HC

It was hearing a plea about Sputnik V

19/05/2021

Staff Reporter New Delhi

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday remarked that COVID-19 has not spared even a single family while the Central government’s officers are living in “ivory towers” oblivious of ground realities.

“It is like a raging fire and nobody is bothered...No one is applying their mind. The virus has not spared any single family. Your (the Centre) officers are living in ivory towers,” a Bench of Justice Manmohan and Justice Navin Chawla remarked.

The court was of the view that the manufacture of Sputnik V vaccine in India with the collaboration of Panacea Biotec with Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) should be seen as an opportunity to ensure there is no vaccine shortage.

“Every day you [Centre] are castigated by each and every court and still you are not awake...God bless this country,” the court said.

The observations came while hearing Panacea Biotec’s plea to modify a July 2020 order of the court, in which it had undertaken not to prosecute further the execution proceedings instituted by it in relation to an arbitral award, passed in its favour.

In its fresh application, Panacea Biotec sought release of the arbitral award on the ground that it needs funds in the larger interest of humanity as it has already manufactured trial batches of Sputnik V vaccine in collaboration with RDIF and the process of manufacturing scale-up batches is on.

Next hearing

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Balbir Singh, representing the Centre, argued that Sputnik V’s manufacture by the company will not benefit the India as it will be for global supply by RDIF.

It posted the case for further hearing on May 31.