Today, the Apex Court dismissed a PIL seeking exemption for face masks and hand sanitizers from Goods and Services Tax. The court also dismissed another petition which sought directions to the Centre and State Governments for immediate relaxation of medical expenses related to non-COVID-19 ailments during the ongoing Corona virus pandemic. The court observed that the petitioner was no expert on the issue and cannot determine prices. The Supreme Court further pulled up the petitioner for the nature of his request and warned that they would impose costs for filing such PILs which waste the Court’s time.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said “some people’s social work seems only confined to filing Public Interest Litigations”. He emphasized that preparing PILs without any ground level information or knowledge while sitting in an air-conditioned office is not ‘public service’. Also, he iterated that while thousands of organizations are running abreast and working in unison with the Government in these tough times, some people’s social work is limited to filing PIL’s from the comfort of their homes.

In another PIL today, the court heard a petition seeking directions from the Government for payment of wages to migrant workers during the COVID-19 Lockdown.

Last week, a PIL filed by Swami Agnivesh which had sought immediate relief to be provided to the poor during the Novel Coronavirus crisis came up for hearing.Senior Advocate who appeared for Swami Agnivesh had submitted that the lockdown had created a huge crisis and that there was no real groundwork being done.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said – “I have serious reservations regarding this particular petition. These are self employment generating petitions .This Court should not entertain such petitions. I have severe problems regarding the kind of petitions that are landing before the Court during these times”.

PIL Shops must close down till the country emerges out of this crisis – he uttered.