Print
XClose
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Women and Child Development
06-August-2015 15:32 IST
Welfare of Widows Living in Vrindavan

In the matter of Writ Petition(Civil) No.659 of 2007 (Environment & Consumer Protection Foundation Vs. Union of India & Others), Hon’ble Supreme Court appointed Principal Secretary, Department of Women and Child Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh as the Nodal Officer with the directions to visit Vrindavan at least on a couple of occasions and to meet concerned stake holders including the Government officials , the Member Secretary, DLSA and some widows to get first-hand knowledge and information about the living condition and other facilities available to the widows in Vrindavan. The Nodal Officer was further directed to formulate a plan of action to ameliorate their condition.

In pursuance to the above directions, the Nodal Officer visited the Shelter Homes/ charitable institutions being run for the aged women and widows in Brij Dham on 13.03.15 and thereafter, and collected information from the District Administration and other stake holders about the living conditions of inmates/widows in those homes. Necessary instructions were issued to the District Administration to address the problems pointed by them. Further, the following arrangements have been made:

i) A team of Doctors under the direction/guidance of CMO to visit the Shelter Homes in Brij Dham thrice a week for carrying out medical checkup and for distribution of medicines.

ii) Municipal Corporation, Mathura has been given the responsibility to maintain cleanliness in the Shelter Homes. Arrangements for cleaning of rooms /toilets daily have been made.

iii) For repair of Shelter Homes, Rs.3.65 crore have been sanctioned by the State Government of Uttar Pradesh and construction/repair work is being carried out under the directions of D.M., Mathura.

iv) The pocket money/food money to the inmates of the Shelter Homes has been transferred in to their bank accounts upto June, 2015 through RTGS.

v) For providing drinking water submersible pump, new R.O. and new water tanks have been installed.

vi) T.V. & Dish antenna have been installed for entertainment.

vii) Arrangements are being made for performing final rites under the supervision of the District Administration, Mathura in case of death of any inmate of the Shelter Homes.

viii) Pension/widow pension to the inmates is being got credited in to their respective bank accounts.

ix) Ration at fair prices is made available within the premises of the Shelter Home itself.

x) Round the clock security has been provided in all the Shelter Homes.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi in reply to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha today.

*****


NB/UD