The Bombay High Court directed the Maharashtra government to file an affidavit stating by when it would implement the recommendations submitted by a high court-appointed committee on improving the conditions of shelter homes for children in Mumbai.
The committee was formed in April by the high court while hearing suo motu a public interest litigation on the issue of poor condition of children shelter homes in the state.
A division bench of justices A S Oka and A A Sayed was today informed that the committee has submitted its report to the government along with its findings and recommendations.The committee was asked to conduct inspection of two children homes in Mumbai – one in Mankhurd and the other in Umerkhadi (Dongri) – and submit a report.
The bench was informed that in the Mankhurd shelter home, among several other recommendations some were for a boundary wall to be constructed, out of the two buildings one can be used as vocational training institute and for some renovation work to be carried out.
The court was also informed that the committee had sought certain information from NGO Childrens Aid Society, which runs the shelter home in Mankhurd, but the same was not provided.
“The state government shall file an affidavit stating what role is played by the Childrens Aid Society in the management of the shelter home in Mankhurd and what are the powers given to the NGO. The affidavit shall also state by when the government would implement the recommendations submitted by the committee,” the court directed.
The petition has been posted for hearing on July 20.
