mumbai state government on friday told bombay high court it had rejected requests of lawyers to board local trains here for now when covid19 situation improves it will be more than eager and happy to consider permitting them on prioritymaintenance and improvement of public health has to rank highest particularly when not only the state but the world is facing the worst crisis due to covid19 said the disaster management relief rehabilitation department secretarys order on august 5 on august 2 around 43 lakh of the state population were affected by covid19 and there were 15316 deathsthe order was submitted to a bench of chief justice dipankar datta and justice ajay gadkari by advocategeneral ashutosh kumbhakoni and assistant government pleader jyoti chavanthe order said considering that lawyers constitute an integral part of the judicial system the state had not imposed restrictions on them also decisions are taken which may cause great inconvenience to various sections of citizens inconvenience balancing maintenance of public health and inconvenience it does not require recording of reasons to conclude inconvenience so caused must pave way to maintenance of public health of citizenry it added it said due to an extraordinary situation in mumbai and mumbai metropolitan region providing travel to frontline workersstaff had been the topmost priority of the state government regarding other offices of nationalized banks gst customs department of post mumbai port trust and public sector undertakings they are required as they help in bringing the economy worst hit by covid19 back to normal it addedit noted that representations have not given details of matters dismissed due to nonappearance of advocates or resulted in prejudice to any litigant or caused hindrance to working of any court or proceedings it added that increase in frequency of local trains will not redress the issue of overcrowding especially to strictly observe social distancing among travellersthe judges adjourned the hearing granting liberty to the parties to mention the matter for further hearing