STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO Golden Heartz through its Director Parimoksh Seth, regarding seeking direction to state to provide sufficient infrastructure in the school for Blinds in Roop Nagar Jammu including hostel facilities, boarding and lodging, extra-curricular activities, study material for progression in life, specific computer together with its software, Division Bench (DB) of the State High Court comprising Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice B.S Walia directed Commissioner/ Secretary Social Welfare Department (SWD) to appear in person.
Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi with Advocate Summit Nayyar appeared for the PIL while Deputy AG Vishal Bharti represented the State.
The DB observed that a Bench of this Court vide order dated 30th August, 2016 had directed the respondents to submit the status of the existing infrastructure available for the Blind Schools and the statistical data of the number of children. It is further observed that status report has not been filed till date.
The counsel for the respondents has produced Communication dated 26th September, 2016 sent to Commissioner/Secretary to Government, Social Welfare Department, Civil Secretariat, Srinagar. However, the aforesaid communication has failed to evoke any response from Commissioner/Secretary to Government, Social Welfare Department, Civil Secretariat Srinagar resulting into non-filing of status report. Deprecating the indifference shown by the respondent to sensitive issue raised in this writ petition, the court observed that it has left with no other option but to direct the personal appearance of Commissioner/Secretary to Government, Social Welfare Department, Civil Secretariat, Srinagar on the next date of hearing. “Let the writ petition be listed on 10th November, 2016. On the appointed date, respondent shall remain personally present before this Court and shall also file status report”, the Court added.
During the course of arguments Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi pleaded for directions to respondents to provide two schools for blinds in all the Districts of the State of Jammu and Kashmir with facilities of boarding and lodging with provision for providing education to them by special training at least upto the 12th standard besides providing avenues of studies beyond 12th standard in professional and non-professional courses by providing the material for studies in Braille.