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Judgment
This Court has heard Mr. Gautam Mishra, learned Senior Advocate, Mr. B.P. Tripathy and Mrs. Pami Rath, Advocates as Amicus Curiae (AC) and has perused the photographs produced by them regarding the present status of the works undertaken at the leprosy home at Lewis Colony, Bampada, Balasore.
The concerned expressed by Mr. G. Mishra, learned AC is that while the work of lying the concrete road and other infrastructural repairs have been taken up, there is a perceptible delay in completing the construction of 12 houses with galvanized roofs for the residents of the colony.
While the hearing was on, Mr. A. K. Parija, learned Advocate General spoke to the Collector, Balasore, who has instructed him to say that three houses with galvanized roofs are ready and the remaining would be ready within a week's time. A status report in this regard enclosing photographs be placed on record by the Collector, Balasore not later than 22nd November, 2021.
The Court has also perused the compliance affidavit dated 4th October, 2021 filed by Ms. Madhumita Nayak, Additional Secretary to Government, Social Security & Empowerment Persons with Disabilities (SS&EPD) Department, Odisha enclosing the proceedings of the 2nd and 3rd meeting of the Technical Committee for formulation and monitoring of rehabilitation programmes for cured leprosy persons. The Court notices that although various issues were taken up for discussion and Departments were identified for taking necessary follow up action, no time limits have been fixed for completion of those actions. In particular in respect of each of the schemes under which leprosy cured persons are to be granted benefits, whether it is rural housing and latrines, sanitation needs, the provision of homestead land under the Basundhara scheme, enabling of reconstructive surgeries, the provision of MCR foot wear and employment opportunities, certain broad directions have been issued without any specific targets or timelines.
The Court would like to impress upon the Technical Committee the necessity for fixing actual time targets for completion by the various Departments/ authorities that have been identified for that purpose.
The Court would also urge the Technical Committee to form sub-committees to undertake personal visits to the colonies of the persons with leprosy or leprosy cured persons to monitor the status of improvement of the living conditions in those colonies. These steps should be on the same lines as that undertaken, under the directions of this Court, at Lewis Colony, Bampada. It is open to the Technical Committee to co-opt experts from other civil society organizations/NGOs/ other stake holders elsewhere in the country who are involved in the task of improving the lives of the persons affected with leprosy or leprosy cured persons.
Learned Advocate General states that he will advise the Technical Committee appropriately.
The Court urges the Technical Committee to have another meeting for the above purposes in the month of November itself on any convenient date.
Learned ACs state that they will undertake a further visit to the two leprosy colonies in Khurda and Puri and submit a further report to this Court on the current status there.
List on 30th November, 2021.
An urgent certified copy of this order be issued as per rules..
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