Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 14: To ascertain the working of child care institutions in the State, Chief Justice Gita Mittal today inspected Children’s Home at Shalimar and Observation Home at Harwan.
She was accompanied by Justice Ali Mohd Magray, Chairman Juvenile Justice Committee, High Court of Jammu and Kashmir, Justice Hasnain Masoodi, Chairman Selection Cum Oversight Committee, Farooq Ahmad Lone Administrative Secretary Social Welfare Department, Sanjay Dhar, Registrar General High Court, Abdul Rashid Malik, Director State Judicial Academy, G A Sofi, State Mission Director ICPS, Jawad Ahmad, Principal Secretary to the Chief Justice, Ruksana Ghani, Director General, Social Welfare Department and Parvaiz Iqbal, Principal Magistrate Juvenile Justice Board Srinagar.
Chief Justice and Justice Ali Mohd Magray interacted with the children in both the homes. On spot directions were given to the Social Welfare Department to ensure proper education, physical activities including indoor and outdoor games, health care facilities, counselling, recreational activities, skill development and computer education etc to the children lodged in the homes as also providing sufficient supporting staff to the JJBs and CWCs as envisaged under Rules 80 & 81 of Juvenile Justice Act.
Chief Justice also directed Secretary SWD to provide video-conferencing facility to all JJBs and Observation Homes to ensure fast and speedy disposal of cases of children in conflict with law. She further directed all the Principal Magistrates of Jammu and Kashmir to ensure fast and speedy disposal of the cases pending against children in conflict with law.
Chief Justice directed that free and competent legal services shall be provided to the children and three lawyers alternatively shall remain available in the Free Legal Aid Clinic at Harwan. The children of the three homes freely interacted with Chief Justice and shared their view points.
Chief Justice and Chairman Juvenile Justice Committee will again visit the homes to see as to whether the directions given to the Social Welfare Department have been complied with in letter and spirit.
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