V. MUNIKRISHNAN Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This Writ Petition, styled as a Public Interest Litigation, is filed by a resident of Sengadu Post, Cheyyar Post, Thiruvannamalai District. According to the petitioner, he is eking out his livelihood by carrying on agricultural operations. The petitioner would state among other things that COVID-19, is spreading his tentacles all over the world and as a consequence, almost all the countries, are being affected, on account of the pandemic virus.

(2.) According to the petitioner, in this country, the first case of Corona Virus was confirmed on 30.01.2020 and insofar as the State of Tamil Nadu is concerned, it was confirmed on 07.03.2020 in Kancheepuram District, through a returnee from the Gulf State of Oman Government.

(3.) The petitioner would further aware that on account of the announcement of National Wide Lockdown, to prevent the on-spread of the said virus, the respondent took a fair decision, to stop collection of tolls, for a period of 21 days and that has been extended till 03.05.2020. On account of the said lockdown, the farmers and others who are carried out agricultural purposes, could not sell their products due to lack of transportation, and availability of labour and therefore, in areas, where the requirements of vegetables from groceries, are required, the price of the said items had gone up, manifold and people having poor economic background/below poverty line have also been put to extreme hardship and loss.