Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir high court has directed State Sports Council to provide all kinds of sporting facilities at the children homes at Shalimar and observation Home at Harwan, both in outskirts of Srinagar.
“We direct the Jammu & Kashmir State Sports Council to provide all kinds of sporting facilities at the children homes (Boys & Girls) at Shalimar and the Observation Home at Harwan. Proper coaching may also be provided,” a division bench of the court comprising of Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice Ali Muhammad Magrey while hearing a Public Interest Litigation.
The court also took on record an affidavit by Commissioner Secretary to Government, Social Welfare Department, stating that most of the children homes and orphanages were in existence prior to the enactment of the J&K Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2013 and the J&K Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, 2014 and as such do not conform to the requirements in keeping with Act of 2014 and rules under it. The officer said that the deficiencies in the orphanages regarding accommodation and staff has been taken care of.
Referring to J&K Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, 2014, the officer said there should be separate children homes for girls and boys.
“There exist separate male and female children homes in Srinagar, Budgam, Kupwara, Leh and Baramulla districts whereas in Ganderbal, Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, Kargil and Bandipora there exist children homes for boys only. In district Anantnag there is children home for girls only,” the officer said.
The PIL was initiated by the court by taking suo-moto cognisance of a news report on poor facilities at government-run orphanage at Shalimar.
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