Kolkata: Seven years after a PIL was filed, seeking a creche on the Calcutta High Court premises, the HC on Thursday directed the registry to ensure the creche, which was “ready for use”, was made functional within 30 days.The division bench of Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen directed the HC administration to put creche service guidelines on its website within three weeks. PWD will have to fix aluminium grilles within two weeks, and the state will ensure two doctors and a nurse will report to the HC administration a day before the opening.
After three HC lawyers filed the PIL in 2019, the matter was taken up by then CJ Thottathil B Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee on Dec 8, 2020. They were told a room on the fourth floor of the sesquicentenary building was marked for a creche. But the administration flagged the non-availability of trained attendants and paediatricians as the reason for not opening the facility. On Aug 9, 2021, then acting CJ Rajesh Bindal and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj were told the health secretary had sanctioned a paediatrician’s post, along with a supporting staff nurse and nodal officer. “It is to be used by employees, advocates and staff of the advocates,” they were told.In Feb 2025, pointing at importance of separate space for childcare in public buildings, Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Prasanna B Varale urged state to offer the units. tnn
