Overwhelmed with the success of rooftop solar power plant at Khunti Civil Court, Supreme Court Judge Justice Madan B lokur promised to work for electrifying all the civil courts of the country through the renewable energy source. Justice lokur along with Chief Justice Virender Singh and several other judges of Jharkhand High Court was on a trip to Khunti on Sunday.
Country’s first solar-powered court was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in tribal dominated Khunti district of the State last year and became first of its kind judicial complex equipped with 180KW grid connected to rooftop solar plant that fulfills entire energy need of the premise and also some other Government offices nearby.
Earlier, Justice lokur inaugurated ‘Balashrya’, a children shelter home near ITI, Hehal on Sunday in the presence of Chief Justice Virender Singh, Justice DN Patel, Justice RR Prasad, Justice P Patnayak, Justice PP Bhatt and Justice S Chandrashekhar along with several other dignitaries.
Justice lokur, congratulating stakeholders for taking such an initiative, said that the children will be given a new way of life from this rehabilitation home. “Besides rehabilitation, it will also provide care and protection to the children,” said Justice lokur. Chief Justice Virender Singh also emphasised on the strengthening families of the rescued children, as it becomes both challenging and critical for the rehabilitation of children.
Justice DN Patel while speaking on the occiasion said that with inauguration of children’s home and implementation of the model child labour rehabilitation programme, state has achieved one of its commitments made under Ranchi declaration released on August 23, 2015. “Very soon other commitments under Ranchi Declaration like video conferencing facility in observation homes and linking with up with JJBs for speedy disposal of cases; counseling cum legal aid centers in Observation Homes will be started by Department of DWCD,” said Justice Patel.
Chief of Field Office Madhulika Jonathan of Jharkhand UNICEF on the other hand said, “It is a convergent model also bringing in education department, skill building mission, district child protection societies, Child Welfare Committee and Police together to meet the one objective of rehabilitation of children in need of care and protection and their regular follow up for tracking them to ensure they do not fall out of safety net. The focus is also on family strengthening.”
Currently, ‘Balashrya’ has a capacity of 50 children at a time and responsibility has been fixed over Mahila Samakhya Society to run the rehabilitation home. labour department has provided the building and equipped it with facilties. Departement for Women and Child Development (DWCD) is providing per child cost as per ICPS norms and other operational and maintenance support. UNICEF as one of the partners is providing financial and technical support to this program while Jharkhand Mahila Samakhya Society is the implementing partner.
The objective of ‘Balashrya,’ according to an official, is to ensure that the child ones rescued and sent to the Children’s Home must be rehabilitated, mainstreamed and tracked so that he is not again pushed into child-labour again.