The lawyers of Jharkhand High Court and Ranchi Civil Court have opposed the Ranchi District Administration decision of converting Jharkhand High Court Guest House and High Court annexure building as Covid hospital. The Ranchi district administration recently decided to convert the guest house and annexure building as Covid hospital for judges and judicial staff of the High Court.
Jharkhand State Bar Council member, Sanjay Vidrohi said, “The district administration by reserving High Court guest house and annexure building as Covid hospital for judges and judicial staff of High Court has once again done partiality against the lawyers.” He said, “The district administration act establishes the fact that for district administration and state government, the health of lawyers is not much important.”
Vidrohi, the State Bar Council member opposing the decision, demanded the district administration to revert its decision in the larger interest of lawyers.
Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Chhavi Ranjan recently issued a directive to Ranchi Civil Surgeon to develop High Court guest house, bungalow number 312 and annexure building a Covid 19 care centre. The district administration has decided to develop these buildings as Covid care centres with the rise in corona cases in past few weeks.
Sources said that the coronavirus has infected several lawyers, judicial staff and officers. Sources said that in the past few weeks more than 25 lawyers and other judicial staff members have lost their lives battling corona infection.
More than 50 lawyers in the State have lost their lives fighting Corona in the past few weeks. Echoing the views of Vidrohi, another lawyer from Ranchi Civil Court requesting anonymity said, “The lawyers are already facing financial distress due to closure of courts, the government decision to reserve Covid care centre for judges and judicial staff is going to bring more problems for lawyers who get infected.”
Earlier, the Jharkhand high court on Thursday asked the State government to look into the possibility of creating a 30-bed hospital for advocates on the high court premises.
The direction was given by Chief Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan in pursuant to a petition filed by the Advocates Association of Jharkhand High Court seeking an exclusive medical care arrangement for its members.
He said, “The lawyers are facing financial distress for the past one year due to Covid crisis.” Last year, the State Bar Council decided to help lawyers financially, but it was not sufficient. The JSBC a few days back provided Rs 1000 each to around 2000 lawyers, while from head of the trustee committee Rs 5000 was provided to around two dozen lawyers.