Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 28: In a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO Golden Heartz seeking direction to State to provide sufficient infrastructure in the School for Blinds at Roop Nagar, Division Bench of the State High Court comprising Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice B S Walia today directed the Commissioner/ Secretary, Social Welfare Department to appear in person on next date of hearing.
After hearing Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi with Advocate Summit Nayyar appearing for the PIL whereas Deputy AG Vishal Bharti appearing for the State, DB observed, “a bench of this court vide order dated August 30, 2016 had directed the respondents to submit the status of the existing infrastructure available for the School for Blinds and the statistical data of the number of children, who are being taken care of in the school. However, the status report has not been filed till today”.
“The counsel for the respondents has produced communication dated September 26, 2016 sent to Commissioner/Secretary to Government, Social Welfare Department. However, the communication has failed to evoke any response as such the counsel for respondents is unable to file status report”, the DB further observed, adding “we deprecate the indifference shown by Commissioner/ Secretary Social Welfare Department to the sensitive issue raised in the petition”.
“We are, therefore, left with no other option but to direct the personal appearance of Commissioner/ Secretary to Government, Social Welfare Department on the next date of hearing”, the DB said while issuing directions for listing of PIL on November10.
Earlier, during the course of arguments, Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi submitted that unfortunately in the State of Jammu and Kashmir there are number of cases of child blindness because of environmental and medical reasons. “It is ironic that there is only one School for Blinds”, he said, adding “the students who are studying in the School for Blinds are living in a very pitiable condition”.
He prayed for issuance of directions to the respondents for establishment of two Schools for Blinds in all the districts of the State with facilities of boarding and lodging.
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