Directions to ensure safety of inmates at old age homes

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 31

With the elderly and children more vulnerable to the new coronavirus, all district-level legal authorities (DSLAs) and other legal functionaries have been directed to ensure the safety of inmates at old age homes and child care centres, persons living in slums, labour colonies, workers of the unorganised sector and the homeless.

The directions come from Executive Chairman, HP State Legal Services Authority (HPSLSA), Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan.

Government departments running these institutions have been told to ensure the availability of sanitisers, masks and adequate supplies of food at these places.

Secretary, HPSLSA, Prempal Ranta said they had inspected most of the child care institutions and old age homes and the process was on to cover other centres across the state. “Personal interactions through the social media have been made by Secretaries, DLSA and the Chairman SDLSC, with the inmates to ascertain their well-being”, he added.

He said the inmates were found maintaining social distancing, proper hygiene and using sanitisers. All secretaries would be in continuous touch with the inmates, he added.

Ranta said legal functionaries had been asked to locate all such vulnerable persons who were unable to sustain themselves following the lockdown. Their whereabouts should immediately be brought to the notice of the district administration for prompt relief and assistance, he added.