HC SEEKS CENTRE’S RESPONSE ON FUNDS TO NGO S RUNNING JUVENILE HOMES
LUCKNOW : The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has directed the central government’s counsel to place its response through an affidavit to release funds to the NGOs running juvenile homes in the state in two instalments instead of four so that they are not short of funds while looking after the juveniles in their homes.
A division bench comprising Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Jaspreet Singh passed the order recently on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by one Anoop Gupta in 2008, seeking directives for betterment of the juvenile shelter homes in the state.
The petitioner also requested for proper funds for the smooth running of the shelter homes.
The funds are to be paid to NGOs-run homes in the ratio of 60% by the Union of India and remaining by the state government.
As per earlier order of the court, the central government’s counsel informed the court that the ministry of women and child development took a decision to restore the earlier arrangement by which the funds were to be released under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), now called ‘Mission Vatsalya’, in two instalments of 25% and 75%.
“Let an affidavit be filed in this regard by the next date (August 23”, the court ordered.
On May 9, 2024, the state counsel had informed the court that the process of releasing funds to NGOs, which are running juvenile homes, was also being expedited.
“We expect that the funds which the said NGOs are entitled to shall be released in their favour as per rules expeditiously so that they are not handicapped in looking after the juveniles in their homes”, the court had ordered.