SC says Patna High Court best forum for Bihar senior citizen plea

The Supreme Court of India directed a petitioner seeking old age homes in every district of Bihar to approach the Patna High Court, stating the high court was best suited to examine alleged non-compliance with senior citizen welfare provisions

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday asked a petitioner seeking a direction to the Bihar government to establish and maintain old age homes in each district to approach the Patna High Court with his grievance.

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the jurisdictional high court would be the best institution to examine the issue. The petitioner’s counsel referred to the pendency of a plea before the apex court that has sought the setting up of old age homes with basic health care facilities across the country.

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He claimed that directions issued by the top court in that matter and the provisions of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, were not being complied with in Bihar. “You approach the high court. The high court is the best institution to examine these issues,” the bench observed.

The petitioner questioned a circular pertaining to old age homes issued by the Bihar government.
The top court noted that the petition has alleged that some old age homes in Bihar were being closed and the residents were being shifted to some other places.

The bench said that according to the averments made in the petition, around 25-30 residents of an old age home in Muzaffarpur were likely to be shifted to other districts. It observed that the issues raised in the plea could be effectively adjudicated by the jurisdictional high court.

It disposed of the plea while granting liberty to the petitioner to approach the high court.
The bench requested the high court to take cognisance of the matter and ensure that directions issued by the apex court were duly complied with.