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Spare time for kids in match
factories: SC tells PM

The prime minister and finance minister should spare time to finalise a welfare scheme for children working in match factories, the Supreme Court said on Thursday.

A bench, comprising Justice G B Pattanaik and Justice B P Singh, passed the order, when Additional Solicitor General Mukul Rohatgi said the social welfare ministry had framed the scheme, but it could be finalised only after getting approval from the finance ministry and the planning commission, of which the prime minister was the chairman.

He sought four months for finalising the scheme, citing that the finance minister was busy preparing the Union Budget and the prime minister with many other issues.

The bench said: "We no doubt appreciate that the scheme required to be routed through the finance ministry and the planning commission, and we also appreciate that the finance minister is busy with the Budget and the prime minister with many other important issues. However, we would like to impress upon the finance minister and the planning commission that their obligation for child welfare is no less."

Directing that the order be sent to the prime minister and the finance minister, the court said the matter was replete with adjournments. "We are unable to accede to the request for four months time, which is a long period. Since the appropriate authorities of the finance ministry and planning commission are busy, we grant eight weeks time from today to enable both authorities to either approve or append their suggestions to the scheme," the court said.

PTI

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