Budget allocated for leprosy patients’ homes in Haridwar, construction to begin in two months
Wednesday, 07 June 2023 | PNS | NAINITAL
The Health director general appeared personally in the Uttarakhand High Court and informed that budget has been approved for constructing residences for leprosy patients in Haridwar and that the construction work will begin within two months. The DG said this while appearing in the court and reporting on action taken on the past orders of the HC in a public interest litigation regarding demolition of the Ganga Mata Kushth Ashram in Haridwar in November 2018 in view of the visit of the President. Satisfied with the information provided by the Health DG, the court set October 31 as the next date of hearing the PIL. The matter was taken up for hearing on Tuesday by the division bench of chief justice Vipin Sanghi and justice Rakesh Thapliyal.
According to the case details, Dehradun based Act Now Welfare Society had filed the PIL in the High Court stating that the then district authorities in Haridwar had demolished the Ganga Mata Kushth Ashram in 2018 so that the President is unable to see the accommodations made for leprosy patients. These homes for leprosy patients had been built by a Britain-based non-governmental organisation at a cost of Rs 20 lakh. Since the demolition of their homes, the leprosy patients had been living in shanties along the road during the winter, monsoon and summer with the government having failed to have made necessary arrangements for them, the petitioner had stated. The court had stated during hearing that it would take up hearing of the PIL regarding the leprosy patients as a priority.
