New Delhi, February 27: Taking note of an incident in which a woman died after delivering on the roadside here, the NHRC has observed that the government is unable to provide facilities to many destitute pavement dwellers and the public is also insensitive to their sufferings.
The observation came as the National Human Rights Commission directed the Delhi Chief Secretary to ensure that the baby girl whom the woman had given birth to “is looked after well” by the concerned government agencies.
The direction was given on a petition filed by a lawyer in the case of Laxmi, a destitute woman who gave birth to a girl child on the roadside in Shanker Market in Connaught Place on August 26 last year and died there soon afterwards.
The Commission took note of the reports submitted to it in this regard by Delhi Police as well as the Delhi government which said that the baby is being looked after by NGO SOS Udayan and provided details of homes for destitute women being run by the government as well as by NGOs licensed by it.
“There are innumerable destitute pavement dwellers like Laxmi in the Metro cities of our country who suffer indignity.
Government is unable to provide facilities for all of them.
Public is insensitive to their sufferings,” the NHRC said.
“The Commission wonders if the situation is going to improve in future despite a number of stay homes for women being run by the State and NGOs, unless the public and public servants concerned show some sensitivity in such matters,” it said.
—————— PTI—————-