The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the Maharashtra government to take immediate steps to provide war widows with any benefits to which they were entitled.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Indira Jadhav, a 72-year-old war widow, who had applied for agricultural and residential land in 1971, after her husband, sepoy Babaji Jadhav, lost his life in action during the 1965 Indo–Pak war. Despite receiving multiple assurances from authorities, she was not allotted land for nearly 40 years.
The court directed the Chief Secretary to ensure that officers call for names of war widows so they can apply for land allotments and other benefits. The court observed that no war widow should be made to approach the court due to State apathy.
“We hope and trust that the Chief Secretary takes immediate necessary steps for grant of relief,” the division bench of Justices Abhay Oka and A.S. Chandurkar said.
In the case of Ms. Jadhav, the court slapped a penalty of Rs. 75,000 on the erring officials. It directed the State government to allot Ms. Jadhav 10 acres of agricultural land free of cost within two months. The government has also been directed to allot 300 square meters of residential land within six weeks.
“We do not find it necessary to record detailed reasons as to why the state should not be saddled with cost of Rs. 75,000. The government is free to recover the cost amount from the officers concerned for the negligence,” the court said in its order.
Lawyers for Ms. Jadhav, Avinash Gokhale and M.D. Modgi, told the court that she was unwell and hospitalised in Pune. The court thereafter said it would be the responsibility of the Ratnagiri Collector to initiate proceedings to allot her the land.
