Supreme Court on Monday started hearing the Suo Motu Cognisance (SMC) case involving contagion of Covid 19 virus in children protection homes across the country and also the issue of rehabilitation of orphaned children.A two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao and also comprising Justice Aniruddha Bose, started hearing the case.Justice Rao said, we have received an Action Taken Report (ATR) from Union Ministry of the Child and Welfare.Amicus Curiae (Friend of the Court) Gaurav Agrawal, assisting the apex court, in the matter, said that the Union of India (UoI) is also actively considering the issue and trying to solve the mortality rate among the children, and how it can help the children orphaned during this Covid-19 pandemic.Additional Solicitor General (ASG) and senior Supreme Court lawyer, Aishwarya Bhati, senior counsel appearing for the Centre, said, “The mortality rate is still being looked at by the Centre.”She also said the issue of money being spent on the children orphaned during this Covid-19 pandemic, and how the PM Cares Fund be utilised for them is actively being considered by UoI.The Centre also informed the apex court that the District Magistrate (DM) has been made responsible to take care of these orphaned or abandoned children during this Covid-19 pandemic.The Centre also submitted to the top court that it needed more time to work out on the modalities as to how it will grant relief and financial assistance to those children who lost their parents.It also said the consultation was going on with all stakeholders for the mechanism for assistance under PM Cares Fund.
