New Delhi: Taking cognisance of the plight of a blind man from Odisha and his elderly mother and the pitiable conditions they live in, the Supreme Court Tuesday directed the state to ensure they receive benefits of the government’s social welfare schemes meant for the disabled and senior citizens.
Taking up the matter suo motu on the basis of news reports, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprising Justice V Mohana issued a slew of directions to ensure benefits and welfare measures are made available to the disabled who live in poverty.
As the bench directed the Odisha government to submit a compliance affidavit, it clarified that the court’s intent was not to merely ascertain whether welfare schemes exist or not, but to see whether they translate into a dignified life in reality.
The court took cognisance of media reports on the precarious living conditions of Japa Bhue, who is blind since birth, and his mother Radhika Bhue. Both reside in Odisha’s Subarnapur district.
For a first-hand evaluation, the court ordered the member secretary of the Odisha State Legal Services Authority to personally interact with the family and make sure all necessary arrangements have been made for them.
The legal services authority—which is meant to undertake drives to educate the masses about welfare schemes and also provide legal aid to the marginalised—was also instructed to prepare a detailed report on the family’s living conditions, welfare entitlements, and whatever support they required in future. The authority also has to indicate if the elderly mother is eligible for an independent residential unit under any government housing scheme.
As a measure to provide employment to the son, the court asked the legal services authority to hire him as a paralegal volunteer with an uninterrupted honorarium that should not be less than the prescribed minimum wages under the law.
Emphasising on the state’s constitutional obligation to support the underprivileged and vulnerable sections of society, the court asked the Odisha government to inform it about what social security measures have been offered to the son and mother. The state was also told to provide details of old age pension, if any, extended to Radhika Bhue and if the son too was entitled to any welfare scheme meant for the disabled.
“The state shall ensure that all basic amenities and facilities are made available to the mother and her son,” said the court in its directive to the state.
According to the media reports the court took note of, the family’s financial condition worsened following the death of the blind man’s father, the only earning member.
Reports suggest, as mentioned in the court order, that the mother and son live in a dilapidated, asbestos-roofed structure that serves as their kitchen, bedroom and living space. While the walls are cracked, the roof is unstable, posing a constant risk to the two.
The court noted that despite repeated efforts and applications, the two had remained excluded from the government’s housing schemes. They have reportedly received minimal financial assistance, including a small pension and limited food support, insufficient to meet their demands, even as the state has multiple schemes for both—senior citizens and those with disabilities.
The court clarified that through this case and the ongoing proceedings, it will examine and scrutinise if states are implementing their policies for the disabled living in abject poverty.
(Edited by Anmol Kapil)
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