Welfare schemes for poor girls: HC gives specific directions

Srinagar: The J&K High Court on Wednesday expressed satisfaction at the government’s implementation of schemes meant for poor girls, and closed a petition regarding this issue.
“It has been noticed that the respondents are implementing both the schemes (State Marriage Assistance and Hunar) in letter and spirit, therefore, the Court feels it necessary to close this application by directing the respondents to ensure implementation of the schemes as long in vogue in letter and spirit,” the court said.
The government had stated before the court that it had identified 3 lakh, 73 thousand and 86 poor girls in the state who need assistance.
The court in terms of order passed on July 9, 2012, directed the respondents to take immediate steps for identifying and for providing support to poor girls in the state so as to enable them to live an honourable life.
While closing down the litigation today, the court directed that the formulation of the scheme shall be based on following considerations:
“That area units be constituted in both urban and rural areas, which are in close proximity with each other, from where these girls have been identified;
Two or three Mohallas/Wards in urban areas and one or two villages in rural areas can constitute a unit;
The girls of these areas be made part of Society/ Cooperative Society, which shall be, exclusively, for these girls and for their benefit.
The amount, which would be required for launching these Societies/ Cooperative Societies, shall be provided by the Government;
These girls, wherever required, shall be imparted training in handicrafts, tailoring, knitting, poultry and analogous and identical jobs;
The Societies/Cooperative Societies shall be provided all incentives to work on the lines mentioned above. The products of these Societies/Cooperative Societies shall be purchased by the Handicrafts Department/ Handicraft Corporation of the State and the payments shall be made at the time of purchase of the products itself. Further profits earned by these Government outlets shall be shared with these Societies/ Cooperative Societies in equal proportion;
The Government shall provide all necessary paraphernalia to enable these girls to start the activities mentioned above.
The State of J&K shall constitute a separate fund for which the State would be at liberty to seek donations from philanthropists. This fund shall be utilised for marriage purpose of the girls whose number is mentioned in this order and who are identified by the State authorities themselves. A minimum of Rs. 25000/- shall be paid to a girl at the time of her marriage and as far as possible, 05 grams of gold shall be given to the girl who is to be married.”

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