PTI
New Delhi, Jan 10: The Supreme Court Wednesday expressed anguish over the criticism that it was trying to “run the government”, saying the judiciary is blamed if it points out that the executive is not doing its job.
The stinging remarks by the apex court came when it was hearing a matter relating to providing shelter to the urban homeless in the country, during which it took to task Uttar Pradesh government and said “your machinery appears to have failed”.
“If you people cannot work, say so, that you are not able to do it,” a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said. “We are not the executive. You do not do your work and when we say something, we are criticised by everybody in the country that we are trying to run the government, run the country,” the bench said.
The court said the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) scheme has existed since 2014 but the Uttar Pradesh government has virtually done nothing. The bench told Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for Uttar Pradesh, that the authorities should keep in mind that this matter related to human beings.
“There are a few things. We are talking about human beings who have no place to stay. Those who have no place to stay have to be given place to live,” the court said. ASG Mehta said the state was alive to the situation and was doing its best to provide shelter to urban homeless.
The court also mulled over the issue of having state-wise committees to deal with the issue relating to urban homeless and implementation of the NULM as suggested by the Centre. The Centre has suggested to the apex court that it could be appropriate if a two-member committee was appointed in each state to deal with these issues.
On hearing the submissions, the bench asked the Centre to coordinate with the state governments to suggest names of officer, who has retired from the level of secretary at the Centre, a senior official of the urban development department and a member from civil society who is sensitive to the issue. It said the petitioner should suggest the name of one person from the civil society. The court asked them to do the needful within two weeks and posted the matter for hearing on February 8.
