Keywords: – Handsets, Court, Judicial Officers, Anganwadi.
During a recent hearing involving Anganwadi workers, the Bombay High Court briefly acknowledged the challenges faced by district and subordinate court judges who are required to work in remote and isolated areas. The Court even mentioned that some judicial officers have to conduct court proceedings in the presence of tigers.
As a result of the case, the Court directed both the Central and State governments to ensure that appropriate mobile handsets are provided to Anganwadi workers in remote parts of Maharashtra within a three-month timeframe. These handsets are necessary for the workers to input data into the Central government’s POSHAN tracker app, which monitors the activities of Anganwadi centers across the country.
However, concerns were raised by senior advocate Gayatri Singh regarding the delivery of handsets to workers in rural and remote regions, particularly in districts like Gadchiroli. Recognizing the difficulty of reaching such areas, the division bench, consisting of Justices GS Patel and Gauri Godse, urged the State government to promptly distribute the handsets.
The Court added an interesting remark that some judicial officers in these areas even sit alongside tigers. The Anganwadi workers had approached the Court to challenge the actions taken against them by the State government for their failure to input data into the app. They claimed that they were provided with outdated and non-functional handsets, making it impossible for them to enter data.
The Court instructed the State to ensure that the workers receive functional devices. The State informed the Court that it intended to distribute the handsets to the workers through vendors, but the Court expressed skepticism about this approach. Justice Patel shared an incident where vendors were unable to deliver power backup to judicial officers in remote districts due to the lack of direct transportation.
As a solution, the division bench suggested involving Child Development Project Officers (CDPO) in the handset distribution process. They cautioned that the procurement, sampling, and distribution of the handsets should not be halted due to funding constraints.
The Court ordered that the financial arrangement between the Central and State governments should not be a concern and urged the Centre to prioritize the matter. The Court clarified that the process would not be stopped due to a lack of funds from the Centre, and the State should proceed accordingly.
Additionally, the Court specified that the State would be eligible for reimbursement of up to 60% of the funds spent, if any, on behalf of the Centre. Emphasizing the importance of the handsets for the ultimate beneficiaries, namely the mothers and children, the Court stated that procedural requirements should not hinder the availability of financial support to the beneficiaries.
Written by- Mubashara Fatima, College name- Unity PG and Law College, Semester- 6th, intern under Legal Vidhiya
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