New Delhi: While hearing a plea relating to the ordeal of seven siblings, of which five are children, who lost both their parents to the virus during the second wave, and are now struggling to meet basic needs, the Delhi High Court was on Monday informed by the Delhi government that there are
"certain issues" in the schemes designed by it to give compensation to these children, which are being worked out and may take time.
The high court bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh, however, noted that it would be unfair to expect children to procure documents for availing benefits of welfare schemes after losing their guardians. "They will find it cumbersome to run around... when you don't get food, every hour, every day matters," the court said.
The high court said since the schemes have been framed by the Delhi government to grant benefits particularly to children who have lost their parents, the authorities have to adopt a proactive approach rather than dealing with such applications in a routine manner as experienced in normal times when one has to deal with bureaucracy.
Advocate Prabhasahay Kaur, for NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan, said various schemes were framed by the state government in June this year, but the implementation on the ground had left much to be desired.
Senior advocate Rahul Mehra submitted that implementation of the scheme for grant of ex-gratia is taking time as verification of documents is required to be done.
He further said these children are now fed up with coming to various agencies and added that it is not as if things are not happening, there are certain issues where plugging needs to be done. He also said the Rotary Club was helping and supporting this family.
The court acknowledged the Rotary club's work but added, "At the end of the day, they (children) want their rights. It is your policy, why should it take so long? It should come from your side without our nudging. Then that will be called progress."
The court said it is hopeful that the Delhi Chief Secretary after holding meetings with all the stakeholders, including principal secretaries of the concerned departments, will brush out such issues. It called for a status report on the procedure evolved to deal with the welfare schemes under the Juvenile Justice Act and listed the matter next for September 9.
It said the Delhi government should evolve procedures that are simple and easily implementable while ensuring that benefits are not misused by undeserving persons.
The court issued notice to Delhi State Legal Service Authority (DSLSA) saying it was of the view that DSLSA will also play an active role in helping the Delhi government to streamline the system and to help children in the process of obtaining and verification of their documents.
Kaur informed the court that the eldest sibling is 23 years old, the youngest kid is four years old and needs to be in school. She said they are having to go to the child welfare committee for basic needs which is "not practically possible".