Unfair to seek documents for providing aid to orphans: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court has said that it is unfair to seek identification documents from children any of their parents during the pandemic when they want to avail the benefits of government schemes.

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has said that it is unfair to demand documents from children who have lost any of their parents due to the COVID-19 pandemic when they want to avail the benefits of various welfare schemes of the Delhi government. A bench headed by Justice Vipin Sanghi made these observations.

The court directed the chief secretary of Delhi to file a status report on the process of verification of applications filed for availing benefits of welfare schemes under the Juvenile Justice Act. The court said that the chief secretary should hold a meeting with the secretary of the Department of Women and Child Welfare and the secretary of the Social Welfare Department to discuss the issue so that the welfare schemes can be implemented soon.

The court said that when one does not get food, every hour and every minute counts. The court also ordered the Delhi State Legal Services Authority to be made a party in this case. The next hearing of the case has been fixed for September 9.

During the hearing, lawyer Prabhashai Kaur apprised the court of the plight of seven children of the same family who lost both their parents during the pandemic. Two of the seven are adults. But these children are not getting any benefit of the welfare schemes of the Delhi government.

To this, senior advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing for the Delhi government, said that there is a plan to give a compensation of Rs 50,000 in this case. The reason for the delay is verification. Mehra said that the authorities are facing difficulties in verifying the address mentioned on the Aadhar card.

The court then said that this problem can happen to anyone. Mere lack of Aadhar card does not mean that the person is not identified. Justice Jasmeet Singh of the bench told the Delhi government that this is the policy of AAP.

“Why are you delaying it? Give the children their rights,” Justice Singh said.