J

Srinagar, Nov 14 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has asked the state government to consider setting up of schools for deaf and dumb children.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice, Mr Justice Bashir Ahmad Khan and Mr Justice Bashir Ahmad Kirmani directed the Secretary to Government, Social Welfare department to take necessary steps for convening meetings of State Level Coordination Committee and State Executive Committee at least once in three months to review the status of implementation of various plans, policies and programmes for welfare of disabled persons.

It said that the report of the Secretary shows that there are 36,714 children in age of 6-14 who have been found highly handicapped and physically challenged and whose special needs are required to be attended to.

There are complaints that the proposals submitted by the State government to the Ministry of Social Welfare Justice, Empowerment, Government of India are going unattended and similarly various schemes provided for by the Ministry are neither known nor are being effectively implemented.

The bench also directed all Deputy Commissioners and Chief Medical Officers in the State to dispose of all pending cases of payment of pension to disabled persons within two weeks from receipt of this order and show compliance.

Each of these authorities shall submit undertakings before the Court that no such case will remain pending with them for more than two weeks after its receipt by them from Social Welfare department, the bench added.

UNI BAS PA DB1234