States not interested in welfare of widows: SC

The Supreme Court today observed that state authorities do not appear to be interested in the welfare of widows and stressed on the need for a combined effort to improve their condition.
The apex court, while noting that several posts in the state commissions for women (SCW) were lying vacant in various states, said there was some "lack of communication" between the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the states on the action plan agreed upon for welfare of widows.
A bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta told Additional Solicitor General (ASG) A N S Nadkarni, appearing for the ministry, that there has to be a scheme for utilisation of funds given by the Centre to states for the welfare of widows.

"There has to be some scheme. If money is not utilised for the cause for which it is meant, then perhaps the situation will be worse," the bench told the ASG.
When Nadkarni said some mechanism was needed to deal with the issue, the bench asked, "But what will you do with the state governments as they are not bothered?"
The bench asked Haryana government as to whether it has given its response to the Ministry of Child and Women Development on the action plan.

When Haryana's counsel said the state had given its response to the ministry in November last year, the bench said, "There was no action plan then. What you have replied (to)? This is just a waste of time of the court. We cannot wait for you to take instructions in the court".

However, when the court asked states like West Bengal, Kerala and Assam about it, it was told they had already replied to the Centre.
The ASG said the WCD ministry has not received the responses yet from some states on the agreed action plan.
The bench then told him there was perhaps some lack of communication between the ministry and the state governments due to which there was some confusion as to which of the states have not responded yet.
However, when the ASG claimed that reply by West Bengal was "incomplete", the court said the ministry would have to convey to the states if there was incomplete information in their responses.

The bench asked about the vacancies in state commissions, and on being informed that several posts were lying vacant, it said, "You (states) are not interested in the welfare of widows".
The ministry and the National Commission for Women told the bench that they would file their affidavits during the course of the day and that "substantial compliance" has been made by them pursuant to the court's earlier direction.
The court said the state governments and UTs should inform the SCWs concerned, National Commission for Women as also the WCD ministry about the steps they proposed to take so that there is a combined effort and monitoring to improve the conditions of widows.

"We expect all communications between the parties be sent by e-mail so that there is no confusion or loss of papers in transit," it said and posted the matter for March 20 for resumed hearing.
The SC had earlier asked the ministry to respond to the report of a six-member panel set up by it to study the reports furnished before the court about the condition of widows and come up with a common working plan.
The apex court had earlier taken note of the "pathetic" condition of widows after a plea was filed in 2007 highlighting how they lived in welfare homes in Vrindavan.

It had referred to various reports filed by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), District Legal Services Authority and National Commission for Women on the condition of shelter homes for widows in Vrindavan.
One of the reports had said that there was a lack of proper toilets and bathrooms in the shelter homes, besides poor water and electricity facilities.