News: Raise food rate for all leprosy homes: PIL
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
The Times of India
TNN | Jun 14, 2014, 06.25AM IST
MADURAI: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed at the Madras high court seeking enhancement of food rate for government leprosy homes across the state. One R Pon Karthikeyan, a Madurai-based advocate, has filed the PIL contending that inmates would be able to take quality food if the amount is enhanced. The allotment for such homes remains unchanged for many years.
Ten leprosy homes in the state accommodate 1,337 inmates. It includes the Madurai centre situated on Y Puhdupatti. It has 161 inmates including 89 men, 65 women and 7 children. The petitioner came to know about the amenities available at the Madurai centre when he paid a visit there recently.
To know about the food rate (allotment) for every inmate, the petitioner applied for information under the Right To Information Act on April 3 this year. The commissioner for disabled persons, Chennai, replied on May 6 that an inmate's food rate per day is Rs 25, and the rate of the Madurai home has been this for the past 40 years. With this meagre amount, three times meals, tea and snacks have to be provided. Further, the rate for Madurai home was fixed on April 22, 1973, the day the home was started, the petitioner said.
"Government created leprosy homes to accommodate leprosy-cured people since they were being ignored by the public. Today Rs 25 per day for food is a meagre amount. It is not at all sufficient. It needs to be enhanced to at least Rs 50," the petitioner said. Hence seeking enhancement of food rates in government homes across the state, the petitioner sent representation to concerned officials. As his efforts failed he filed the petition at the HC bench here. When the matter came up for admission before the division bench, it ordered notice to the officers and adjourned the matter.
TNN | Jun 14, 2014, 06.25AM IST
MADURAI: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed at the Madras high court seeking enhancement of food rate for government leprosy homes across the state. One R Pon Karthikeyan, a Madurai-based advocate, has filed the PIL contending that inmates would be able to take quality food if the amount is enhanced. The allotment for such homes remains unchanged for many years.
Ten leprosy homes in the state accommodate 1,337 inmates. It includes the Madurai centre situated on Y Puhdupatti. It has 161 inmates including 89 men, 65 women and 7 children. The petitioner came to know about the amenities available at the Madurai centre when he paid a visit there recently.
To know about the food rate (allotment) for every inmate, the petitioner applied for information under the Right To Information Act on April 3 this year. The commissioner for disabled persons, Chennai, replied on May 6 that an inmate's food rate per day is Rs 25, and the rate of the Madurai home has been this for the past 40 years. With this meagre amount, three times meals, tea and snacks have to be provided. Further, the rate for Madurai home was fixed on April 22, 1973, the day the home was started, the petitioner said.
"Government created leprosy homes to accommodate leprosy-cured people since they were being ignored by the public. Today Rs 25 per day for food is a meagre amount. It is not at all sufficient. It needs to be enhanced to at least Rs 50," the petitioner said. Hence seeking enhancement of food rates in government homes across the state, the petitioner sent representation to concerned officials. As his efforts failed he filed the petition at the HC bench here. When the matter came up for admission before the division bench, it ordered notice to the officers and adjourned the matter.
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