The Allahabad High Court has intervened in a critical funding delay affecting NGO-run juvenile homes under the Mission Vatsalya scheme, demanding immediate action to protect the rights and welfare of vulnerable children.
Key Points
- Allahabad High Court criticises delay in funds for NGO-run juvenile homes under Mission Vatsalya.
- The court emphasises that procedural formalities cannot override children's rights to life, food, and medical care.
- Over 200 children in juvenile homes run by Drishti Samajik Sansthan have not received funds since April.
- The court directs the Centre and state government to propose immediate financial assistance to seven NGO-run homes in Uttar Pradesh.
- The court highlights the state's constitutional obligation to protect children's interests under the Juvenile Justice Act.
The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday expressed strong displeasure over the delay in the release of funds to NGO-run juvenile homes operating under the Mission Vatsalya scheme.
The Lucknow bench of the court observed that procedural formalities cannot override the rights of children to life, food, medical care and welfare. It warned that if no practical solution is presented by May 29, it would be compelled to pass necessary orders to protect the rights of juveniles.
Court Addresses Public Interest Litigation
The order was passed by a bench of Justices Rajan Roy and Jaspreet Singh while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Anoop Gupta in 2008.
During the hearing, amicus curiae Apoorva Tiwari informed the bench that nearly two months had passed since the commencement of the financial year 2026-27, but juvenile homes functioning under Mission Vatsalya had not received any funds so far.
Impact on Juvenile Homes and Children
He submitted that more than 200 children were residing in the juvenile homes run by Drishti Samajik Sansthan and the monthly expenditure was around Rs 80 lakh, yet not a single penny had been released since April.
The state government informed the court that technical and procedural difficulties had arisen due to the implementation of the new SNA Sparsh mechanism. Although the Project Approval Board (PAB) meeting was held on May 12, its minutes had not yet been issued, due to which funds could not be released.
Government Response and Court's Reaction
During the proceedings, Principal Secretary of the Women Welfare Department Manisha Trighatia, appearing through video conferencing, said that the government was bound by the prescribed procedure and could not release funds in deviation from the same.
The bench reacted sharply, observing that her statement reflected insensitivity and rigidity. The court remarked that protection of children's interests under the Constitution of India and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 was a constitutional obligation of the state, according to the order.
Court's Directives and Future Actions
The bench further observed that if the PAB meeting is held only in May after the financial year has commenced and another 30 days are taken to finalise the minutes, juvenile homes would remain without funds for nearly three months.
The court questioned who would bear the expenses for food, medical care and other necessities of children residing in such homes, noting that none of the officials had an answer.
The court directed the Centre and the state government to jointly place a proposal by May 29 to ensure immediate interim financial assistance to all seven NGO-run juvenile homes in Uttar Pradesh, according to the order.
The state government was also asked to inform the court on the next date regarding the total amount of funds proposed to be released to these seven homes during the current financial year.
