Team Herald
PANJIM: The Goa government has informed the High Court of Bombay at Goa that usage of Aarogya Setu app is no longer mandatory. The court is hearing a Public Interest Litigation against the Margao Deputy Collector’s former order making it mandatory for every visitor to the Office of the Collectorate to have Aarogya Setu App on their mobile phones.
The Bench has directed the government to file an affidavit indicating that usage of the app is no longer mandatory in light of a statement made by Advocate General Devidas Pangam.
A petition was filed in the wake of chaos at the offices of the North and South Collectorate in July wherein every staff and visitors were not allowed to enter the building in absence of the app and with the message on the App saying ‘You are Safe’. Some people did not have the application installed on their mobile phones, whereas others, like some of the elderly people, pointed out that they don’t even have a smartphone to begin with, so downloading the app was not possible. The chaos at these buildings prompted a PIL in the High Court challenging violation of users’ privacy. Thereafter the order was withdrawn.
The court has now asked the State to file an affidavit in this regard while adjourning the matter for hearing on October 6.
