Wednesday, 19 February 2025 | PNS | NAINITAL
The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the State government to complete the task of constructing shelter homes for leprosy patients within three months. The division bench of chief justice G Narendar and justice Ashish Naithani issued this direction after taking suo motto cognisance of leprosy patients being shifted from the banks of the Ganga river and other places in Haridwar, with the HC taking up the matter in the form of a public interest litigation.
Dehradun-based NGO Act Now Welfare Society had written a letter to the HC chief justice stating that the government had displaced leprosy patients while removing encroachments from along the Ganga river and in other places in Haridwar during 2018. These citizens have no place to live now.
During hearing in the matter in the past, the court had asked the Haridwar district magistrate about the number of leprosy patients and shelters for them in the district along with information about kuccha and pucca homes for them.
According to the government counsel, the State government is making about five dozen shelters for leprosy patients in the district. The court has directed the State to complete the work within three months.
