Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 28: The High Court today directed the Social Welfare Department to provide all facilities to Child Care Institutions (CCIs) in Kashmir and place the report in this connection in shape of Excel Sheet before the Court.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Alok Aradhe observed, “it is deep pain for the court that despite the Juvenile Justice Act and repeated court directions, there is no Child Welfare Committee (CWC) as on date.”
The Court directed the Director Social Welfare department, who was present in the court, to provide adequate accommodation, Security, Education, Health & Medicare, availability of doctors and sports facilities in all Child Care Institutions.
These directions followed after the amicus and Senior Advocate B A Bashir informed the Court that while visiting some of the Child Care Institutions, he found these institutions are in deplorable conditions.
The court asked the Director SWD as to how many CCIs are operating in the province. She informed the Court that at present there are 17 such institutions, among them 11 are for boys and 6 for girls.
Court directed the Director to verify the status of these institutions in view of the submissions made by amicus Bashir that the institutions which he inspected are in a miserable condition.
Court also directed the Sports Council to provide the sports facilities to other CCIs apart from CCIs at Harwan and Shalimar situated in Srinagar.
“Sports Council shall ensure not only the facilities but also appointment of instructors for training the inmates in these CCIs”, court directed adding the Council shall place a report before the court as to what would be the optimum curriculum activities for the children in CCIs.
Court said if the Sports Council faces any difficulty while providing the sport activities to the inmates that shall be brought before the court in order to remove such kind of difficulties.
Court further said that CCIs are not only concern of the Court, it also wants JJBs and Observation Homes are formulated and in this connection, Government of India, through its counsel, has been asked to file the status report in light of previous court order.
Court on previous hearing had directed the Government of India to place a proposal with regard to the extending the outreach of the skilling programmes to the children in children’s institutions in J&K. In this connection, it directed one Bharti Ali, HAQ, Centre for Child Rights, New Delhi to provide a list of facilities and programmes which are required to be provided and are being provided in Child Care Homes (both for children in conflict with law and those in need of care and protection). Court directed the Registry to send a copy of this order to Ms Bharti who, the court said, may respond on e-mail.
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