Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has approved setting up of the State Mental Health Authority, pointing out a delay of around five years on the part of the Delhi Government in constituting a panel for it. No immediate reaction was available from the Delhi Government over the allegation of delay in the constitution of the authority.
The Central Mental Health Care Act, 2017 mandates setting up of the State Mental Health Authority (SMHA) for the welfare of patients with mental illness. The Act also mandates the authority to have independent domain experts, patient representatives, care givers and NGO apart from ex-officio government members. “Delhi is yet to have its SMHA. The Delhi government, under pressure from the Centre, finally moved a proposal to constitute Delhi SMHA after a delay of 5 years, only with ex-officio members,” Raj Niwas officials said.
The LG while giving approval to the proposal “slammed government apathy” in the matter and directed it to immediately initiate the process of appointing independent domain experts, representatives of patients and care givers, as well as NGOs to the authority, they said.
In his noting on the file for approval to SMHA, the LG pointed that the authority was to be set up within nine months of the enactment of Mental Health Care Act 2017 with nod by the President.