homes: HC asks Maha govtMumbai, Jan 14 (PTI) The Bombay High Court has directedthe Maharashtra government to file a report on steps taken byit to improve the condition of children's homes in the state.
A division bench of justices A S Oka and P N Deshmukh washearing a suo-motu public interest litigation on the poorcondition of children's homes and the homes for children withspecial needs in the state, established under the JuvenileJustice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.
The high court had in April last year passed directionsto the state government and said it was the government's legaland constitutional obligation to set up an adequate number ofsuch homes and provide them appropriate infrastructure andfacilities.
Amicus curiae, one who assists the court, Asha Bajpai,also a social activist, recently informed the high court thatthe government has not complied with its directions until now.
"We direct the appropriate officer of the stategovernment to file a reply placing on record the details ofcompliance with the various directions issued under the orderof April 2017," the court said in its recent order.
The court directed the government to file the affidaviton January 30, when it would hear the petition.
There are 27 homes for children with special needs in thestate, of which six are exclusively for girls, 14 for boys andseven for both.
In the April 2017 order, the high court had directed thegovernment to ascertain with the help of Maharashtra StateCoordination Committee for Child Protection how many more suchhomes are required.
The court had asked the government to take an appropriatedecision within four months and also to establish therequisite number of homes expeditiously. It had also directedthe government to ensure that a managing committee isconstituted for every children's home.
It also termed the monetary grant released by thegovernment to such homes and the children housed there as"arbitrary and violative of Articles 14 and 21 of theConstitution."The court had asked the government to take a decision onincreasing the grant.
The bench had also ordered for the child welfarecommittees to be constituted in each district. PTI SP GKABH.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.