'Policy decision' of Centre about helping people hit by COVID-19 crisis: SC

The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned the hearing of the PIL filed by lawyer, Vishal Tiwari, to June 11 saying this "is a policy decision" of the Central government as to what kind of measures it had taken and should take on helping people as they are facing many financial hardships due to COVID-19 crisis.

Adjourning the hearing of a PIL to June 11, the Supreme Court on Monday said this "is a policy decision" of the Central government as to what kind of measures it had taken and should take on helping people as they are facing many financial hardships due to COVID-19 crisis.

The lawyer, Vishal Tiwari had moved the Apex Court and filed a PIL seeking direction to the Central government to take effective and remedial measures to redress and overcome the financial stress and hardship faced by the borrowers of the country during the second wave of COVID-19 and lockdown.

A two-judge vacation bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan and comprising of Justice M R Shah, was hearing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Vishal Tiwari.

Justice Shah said, "At maximum, what we can do is that we can allow him (the petitioner Vishal Tiwari) to give his representation to the Central government".

"It is a policy decision," Justice Shah said, however, and adjourned the matter to June 11, Friday.

The bench said, "We can tell the petitioner (Tiwari) to file a representation."

After it got to know that the petitioner is not connected through the virtual hearing mode, for starting his submissions in the case, the Supreme Court adjourned the matter to June 11, Friday.

"We will adjourn the case to June 11," the Apex Court said.

This is an important petition although, the Apex Court said and deferred the case for hearing to June 11, Friday.

The PIL filed by the lawyer, Vishal Tiwari, sought direction to the Central government to permit all the lending (financial) institutions to grant interest-free moratorium period for term loan and defer the payment of loan installments for a period of six months or till the situation from COVID 19 normalises.

Tiwari, in his PIL filed before the Apex Court, sought a direction to the Central government to direct that any bank or financial institution shall not take action for auction in respect of any property of any citizen or person or party or any body corporate for a period of six months.

Tiwari also sought that the Top Court should direct the Central government that no account shall be declared as Non-performing Asset (NPA) for a period of six months, keeping in view the surge in the second wave in the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tiwari, in his PIL filed before the Apex Court, said during this surge in the second Covid-19 pandemic wave, it is required that government should take every possible measure to keep the living of the citizens comfortable and easy.

"Their financial burden should be decreased and citizens shall not lose their dignity. Financial policies are made by the government but in the present time above financial policies, the question is of survival. And the population of our nation shall survive with dignity and without any stress," the petition filed by Tiwari said.

Since the time of emergence of COVID-19 in India, the country has witnessed numerous havoc in the form of a medical emergency, economic distress due to the subsequent lockdown to reduce the transmission rate of COVID-19 in India, Tiwari said in his petition.

"As corona has brought disaster, so the lockdown is also proving a disaster for the economy," Tiwari stated.

"There is a big part of our population in our country which daily earns and eat. Their survival depends upon the daily earning, like daily wages workers, labours, tea vendors, cart pullers, and even professional like lawyers depend upon the daily earning. Lockdown has paused everything," read the petition.

( With inputs from ANI )