In Brief
The Supreme Court considered an interim application by the State of Maharashtra seeking approval to open 26 NGO-run shelters for children in street situations (CiSS) under the Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme. With approximately 5000 street children identified in Maharashtra and increased central budgetary allocation from Rs. 900 crore to Rs. 1472.17 crore, the Court permitted Maharashtra to propose 20 open shelters for 2022-2023 within one week. The Union of India was directed to grant approval within two months, and the State was also instructed to separately approach the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for additional approval.
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