Srinagar, May 15: The Jammu & Kashmir High Court has directed government to give wide publicity to schemes identified for the victims of domestic violence including women, elderly persons, child abuse and trans genders.
A division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Rajnesh Oswal has directed that the Department of Social Welfare shall ensure that wide publicity is given with regard to schemes identified for assisting the victims of domestic violence including women, elderly persons, child abuse and transgenders so that they are made aware of the availability of the assistance.
The Court also directed that efforts should be made by the District Legal Services Authorities to ascertain the welfare of the persons who had sought maintenance and those granted may be in need of assistance.
“In the report submitted by the Member Secretary, JKSLSA, report regarding litigation in 20 districts has been submitted. In many cases, orders of maintenance appear to have been passed, but the complainants have not received payments of maintenance on account of lockdown. The maintenance would have been awarded so as to enable the complainants to meet their essential needs and deserves to be regularly made available,” reads the order.
It also said that the Jammu and Kashmir State Legal Services Authority should continue to assist all needy people in terms of the several programs being pursued by it.
According to the HC order, the Social Welfare department has found that the efficacy of pharmacies and grocery stores as the first point of contact for victim of domestic violence is gravely doubtful.
“We may note that the Social Welfare Department has examined the efficacy of pharmacies and grocery stores as the first point of contact for victim of domestic violence and have found that these businesses form part of the unorganized economic sector and their approachability and viability as the first point of contact is gravely doubtful so far as Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned,” the order states.
