The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has expressed strong displeasure over the repeated delays in releasing funds to child care institutions under the Mission Vatsalya scheme. The court observed that issues concerning children's welfare require a permanent and time-bound mechanism instead of ad-hoc solutions.
Court's Observations and Order
A division bench comprising Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Jaspreet Singh passed the order while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) that has been pending since 2008. The case, titled Anoop Gupta, relates to the welfare of children living in shelter homes. The next hearing has been scheduled for May 27.
Government's Explanation
During the hearing, the state government informed the court that the release of Rs 1 crore assistance to Drishti Samajik Sansthan could only be processed after a meeting of the Project Approval Board. The meeting, originally scheduled for April 27, had been deferred to May 12. The court was also informed about a new financial arrangement introduced under the Sparsh scheme. Previously, payments were made through a centralized cyber treasury system at the national level, which caused practical difficulties. Under the revised mechanism, payments are now proposed to be made at the district level. However, approval for the current financial year still depends on the board meeting.
Court's Displeasure
Taking exception to the delay, the bench observed that since the financial year commenced on April 1, the board meeting should have been held before that date. The court stated that if welfare funds meant for children are not released on time, the very objective of the scheme would be defeated. The bench also noted that the institution's management had been forced to borrow money from the market to continue caring for children, and lenders were now unwilling to extend further assistance. The court directed the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development to ensure that board meetings are held in advance in the future.
