J

Srinagar, Dec 27 (UNI) The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has come down heavily on the Union Government for not assessing the damage suffered to the Composite Regional Centre, set up for the handicapped people, here due to floods and directed it to depute within one week a team of senior officials in this regard.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Bashir Ahmed Khan and Justice Bashir Ahmed Kirmani, said it was surprising that the Union Ministry concerned did not so far assess the damage suffered by the Centre due to floods in Kashmir in June-July this year.

The court directed Secretary to Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to depute within one week a team of senior officials on receipt of the order to survey and assess the damage suffered by the Centre due to floods and to repair it within two months after the report was submitted to him.

The Secretary should take all the necessary steps to restore the Composite Regional Centre and provide the requisite grants for its infrastructure, the Bench said and directed him to submit a detailed report to the Court on the next date of hearing.

The court said the appalling condition of the Centre, set up to provide trained manpower for development of and attending to the problems of the physically handicapped people, was not being dealt with by the Social Justice Ministry.

''The only possible view to be taken in the matter is that the Centre is existing only in name and not run on the expected lines and in consonance with the objectives for which created.'' The court also said it had no clue about the action plan which the Social Welfare Department Secretary claimed to have formulated at the state level coordination committee meeting.

He was directed to submit the plan to the court and show the methodology for its implementation along with the agencies involved in doing so besides indicating the target fixed for that.

The Bench also said it was not known if the government had incorporated any provision of reservation for physically challenged- handicapped people in services and educational institutions.

In case it had not been done so far, the court said the government should examine the issues relating to reservations and grant of concessions in fee and other charges for public facilities.

The Bench directed the government to incorporate its decisions in the new policy or legislation, which was stated to be in the process of being amended.

UNI AG MSJ DS1510