IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION SUO MOTU WRIT PETITION NO. 1885 OF 1989 SUO MOTU WRIT PETITION NO. 1885 OF 1989 SUO MOTU WRIT PETITION NO. 1885 OF 1989 Friends of Lepers Society, Pune. ...Petitioners Versus The State of Maharashtra & Ors. ...Respondents Mr.A.V.Anturkar, Amicus Curiae, for the petitoners. Mr. N.P.Deshpande, AGP, for the State. Mrs. Leena Mehendale, Principal Secretary for State present. CORAM: BILAL NAZKI & J.H.BHATIA,JJ CORAM: BILAL NAZKI & J.H.BHATIA,JJ CORAM: BILAL NAZKI & J.H.BHATIA,JJ DATE: 2nd December, 2008. DATE: 2nd December, 2008. DATE: 2nd December, 2008. P.C. P.C. P.C. 1. This petition has been pending in this Court for the last 20 years. It was filed in public interest with a view to improve the conditions of inmates of Dr. Bandorwala Leprosy Hospital, Kondhva, Pune. For 20 years, directions were given from time to time and compliance reports were sought. The last of such report has been filed on 15.11.2008. Certain assurances have been given in the affidavit. One of the assurances given is that there is a proposal of the Central Government to have a National Institute of Naturopathy in the Hospital precincts as the Hospital is having 25 acres of land and at present the Hospital has only 115 inmates. There is also a proposal to have a goat farm in the area with the help of self help group. On our direction, two patients - Mr. Fida Hussain Abbas Ali Saifi and Smt. Mainabai Laxman Vitkar were present on 17.11.2008. Mr. Fida Hussain is a cured patient and, according to him, he was doing the dressing of other patients and he was the only dresser in the Hospital. He also complained about drinking water. The Principal District and Sessions Judge, Pune, along with the members of the Legal Services Authority had also visited the Hospital in November, 2008. They have also mentioned that though bore-wells are available, there is no water connection provided by the Municipal Corporation for drinking water and drinking water is being procured by tankers. 2. We, therefore, direct that the Government should take up the matter with the Pune Municipal Corporation so that water connection is made available to the inmates of the Hospital for the purpose of drinking water. The learned Government Pleader has assured this Court that steps to rehabilitate the inmates to which reference has been made in the affidavit of 15.11.2008 will be taken within a period of one year. 3. In view of these developments, we do not think it is further necessary to keep this matter on board. Therefore the petition is accordingly disposed of. (BILAL NAZKI,J.) (BILAL NAZKI,J.) (BILAL NAZKI,J.) (J.H.BHATIA,J.) (J.H.BHATIA,J.) (J.H.BHATIA,J.)