Maha opposes plea for adopting Kerala model to fight COVID-19

Nagpur, May 18 () The Maharashtra government hasinformed the Bombay High Court that it is scrupulously takingall measures to control the spread of COVID-19, and soughtdismissal of a petition which said the state government shouldadopt the 'Kerala model' to tackle the pandemic.

The state government, in its affidavit filed on Mondaybefore the Nagpur bench of the high court, said it wasimplementing strategies as per guidelines of the Government ofIndia as well as recommendations made by the World HealthOrganisation (WHO).

After the first case of COVID-19 was detected inMaharashtra in March, several measures were undertaken,including screening at airports in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur,tracing of all contacts and high-risk contacts, declaringcontainment zones, collection of samples of high-riskcontacts, setting up isolation facilities and so on, it said.

"It is submitted that the situation in Maharashtra isdifferent than that in Kerala. The state of Maharashtra isscrupulously implementing guidelines of the Government ofIndia and WHO recommendations in order to control the spreadof COVID-19, the affidavit said.

Since all efforts are being made by the stategovernment to control the COVID-19 pandemic, the relief soughtby the petitioner is uncalled for, the affidavit said andsought dismissal of the plea.

The government submitted the affidavit in response toa petition filed by Nagpur resident Subhash Zanwar, who raisedseveral issues pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The petition, filed last month, noted that the numberof COVID-19 cases was steadily rising in the state.

It sought a direction to the Maharashtra government totake note of the measures undertaken by the Kerala government.

According to the plea, when the coronavirus outbreakhappened in March, both Maharashtra and Kerala saw a similarrise in the number of cases.

However, the Kerala government has now managed tobring down its cases and flattened the curve, it said.

The petition sought for a committee to be formed bythe Maharashtra government to study the Kerala model andprepare a report on the measures needed to be taken by thegovernment here to tackle the pandemic.

The court will take up the petition for hearing onTuesday. CLS SPGK GK