HIGH COURT INTERIM GUIDELINES FOR SHELTER HOMES
ALLAHABAD : The Allahabad high court on Friday issued interim guidelines for the management of shelter homes in Uttar Pradesh. Observing that the present situation could not be allowed to continue for long, the court directed all the district judges in the state to constitute monitoring committees of 3-4 members comprising the secretary, district legal services authority (DLSA), and women judicial officers. The interim direction will remain operative till the state government formulates long-term directives for shelter homes.
ALLAHABAD : The Allahabad high court on Friday issued interim guidelines for the management of shelter homes in Uttar Pradesh.
Observing that the present situation could not be allowed to continue for long, the court directed all the district judges in the state to constitute monitoring committees of 3-4 members comprising the secretary, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), and women judicial officers.
The interim direction will remain operative till the state government formulates longterm directives for shelter homes. The monitoring committees will undertake inspection of all shelter homes in their respective districts and chronicle their observations with regard to the status and character of infrastructure available, hygiene levels and areas and aspects which require upgradation.
According to the guidelines, the committees will also interact with the inmates to gather requisite information with respect to general environment of shelter homes and assess whether dietary, medical and other needs of the inmates were being met.
Inspections will be carried out on a monthly basis and reports will be submitted for review and issuance of further directions. The court said the first of such reports should be placed
before it for consideration on or before September 26, the next date of hearing. While hearing the suo motu PIL on Deoria shelter home case, the bench comprising chief justice DB Bhosale and justice Yashwant Varma, directed the UP chief secretary to file a personal affidavit clarifying the government’s stand with respect to the inadequacy of funds for providing infrastructure to shelter homes. On the government’s submission pleading inability to provide infrastructure to shelter homes for the want of funds, the court observed: “It can only be viewed as an admission of a deep-rooted malaise and
cannot possibly be countenanced by this court. It is the obligation of the state to ensure that the weak and the vulnerable, who are housed in these shelter homes, are provided basic amenities.”
“The state, therefore, is obliged to make available the requite funds so that the budget required for the upkeep and maintenance of all shelter homes is met,” the court said.
On August 8, the court had taken suo motu cognizance of newspapers reports on Deoria shelter home case and said it would monitor investigation into the alleged sexual harassment of inmates.