SHILLONG, Aug 29: The Meghalaya High Court has asked the state government not to enforce mandatory testing on fully vaccinated people.
“We make it clear that the concerned state respondents shall not insist on mandatory testing in respect of those who have been fully vaccinated already. However, it will be open to the concerned authority of the state to insist on conducting such tests as required and/or mandated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in respect of those who have not yet been fully vaccinated,” the High Court said while hearing on the plea.
The High Court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a city resident against the state government’s guidelines making COVID-19 testing mandatory for citizens who have not been vaccinated.
In his PIL, Rockliff Rap Bor Roy Thabah, a resident of Upper Lachumiere, had pointed out that the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has not issued any guideline which states that people who are yet to be vaccinated would need to do the testing mandatory.
He made a reference to the notification issued by the East Khasi Hills district administration that people who are reluctant to take the vaccine would need to provide negative RT-PCR report every ten or 14 days.
Talking to reporters on Sunday, he pointed out that the Meghalaya High Court has asked the state government not to enforce mandatory testing rules on people who are fully vaccinated.
“But this does not mean that the state government will make it mandatory for unvaccinated people to undergo compulsory testing,” Thabah stated.
He said that he filed the PIL after seeing the notification issued by the district administration and some government departments asking employees and citizens to provide negative RT-PCR test report if not vaccinated.
“Going by the government notifications, it is clear that the government is forcing people to take the vaccine or undergo testing,” Thabah said.
According to him, the Centre had clearly stated that people who are symptomatic should be tested.
“If there is any attempt to force the people then it goes against the spirit of the provisions laid down in the Constitution,” Thabah asserted.