A PIL seeking rehabilitation of children indulging in begging, rag-picking and other activity on the city roads today led the Delhi High Court to seek responses from the Centre, Delhi government and others.
A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath also issued notice to other concerned authorities asking them to file affidavit on the issues raised in PIL which also seeks that the children be provided with “education and basic amenities” of life in order to “make them good citizens”.
The court has also issued notice to the Delhi Commission for Child Rights which was made a respondent in petition, listed for hearing on April 4.
Notices were also issued to Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, Municipal Corporations of Delhi and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on the PIL which also sought “appropriate measures to prevent children of tender age from performing somersault/gymnastic manoeuvres at traffic signals/ intersections”.
The petitioner, advocate Sajan K Singh, has sought direction to the Centre and Delhi government, to take “appropriate measure to give permanent shelter to destitute women and provide them the opportunity for dignified living”
He submitted in the court that the authorities concerned should count the homeless population of Delhi and provide them permanent shelter and basic identification card or Aadhar card to help them obtain benefits of government’s welfare schemes.
The petitioner has attached a documentary on the plight of street children, destitute women and homeless, of which the court took note and agreed to consider it.
Photographs to substantiate the fact about the miserable life of street children, destitute women and homeless were also submitted before the court.
The petitioner has contended in his plea that under the Constitution, all of them are “entitled to lead dignified life and the state is under the obligation to provide the same to every citizen of this country”.
( Source – PTI )
