Poor Woman Was Running Pillar to Post for Disability Certificate, Permanent Lok Adalat Becomes a Savior
Saharsa: A poor woman, a victim of the apathy and bureaucratic delays of government offices, has finally seen a glimmer of justice. Ranjan Devi, a resident of Saharsa who belongs to a Scheduled Caste and is disabled in one eye, had been making rounds of government offices for a long time to get a disability certificate made. Exhausted and frustrated, she knocked on the doors of the Permanent Lok Adalat, after which this matter has now gained significant attention.
What is the Entire Matter?
Ranjan Devi comes from an economically extremely weak background and is unable to see with one eye. Due to this disability, she is not only struggling in her daily life but is also facing immense difficulty in availing the benefits of government schemes. She had submitted an application at the Civil Surgeon's office in Saharsa to obtain a disability certificate.
It is alleged that despite submitting the application, no concrete action was taken on her request by the Health Department and the Civil Surgeon's office. Even after repeated requests, the file kept moving from one table to another, but the process of issuing the certificate did not begin.
Intervention of the Permanent Lok Adalat
When Ranjan Devi did not receive justice from anywhere, she pleaded her case to the Permanent Lok Adalat. The court, understanding the gravity of the matter, has taken it seriously.
The court has sought a response from the Civil Surgeon's office as to why action on the application of a disabled woman was kept pending for such a long time.
The court clarified that under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, it is the responsibility of the Health Department to issue the certificate, and any delay in this will be considered negligence.
The court directed the concerned officials to dispose of the woman's application within the stipulated time frame and ensure her examination before the medical board.
A Major Example of Insensitivity
Ranjan Devi's case has once again raised serious questions about the functioning of the Health Department. A poor and disabled woman running around for a certificate shows how complex and insensitive the government system still is for the common man. Local social activists say that if a disabled person has to take refuge in the court for their rights, then it is a failure of the entire administrative system.
Following the court's intervention, pressure has now mounted on the Civil Surgeon's office. This case is not only important for Ranjan Devi, but it can also become a precedent for hundreds of other disabled people who are grappling with similar problems.
The court has now fixed the date for the next hearing and has said to ensure that the certificate process is completed by the next date. Ranjan Devi is now looking at the court with hopeful eyes. Her struggle has proven that even if the system is slow, the door of the judiciary is always open to protect the rights of the common man.
