AFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH, BILASPUR WPPIL No. 27 of 2017

1. Ranichand Baiga W/o Sudhar Singh Baiga Aged About 30 Years R/o Village Chaparva Block Lormi P. S. Lormi District Mungeli Chhattisgarh

2. Krishna Bai Baiga W/o Vinod Baiga Aged About 30 Years R/o Village Chaparva Block Lormi P. S. Lormi District Mungeli Chhattisgarh

3. Sita Bai Baiga W/o Pardesi Baiga Aged About 24 Years R/o Village Chaparva Block Lormi P. S. Lormi District Mungeli Chhattisgarh

4. Krishna Kumar Baiga S/o Pilaram Baiga Aged About 30 Years R/o Village Sarasdol Gram Panchayat Achankmar P. S. Lormi Block Lormi District Mungeli Chhattisgarh

5. Ramkunwar Baiga W/o Asaram Baiga Aged About 30 Years R/o Village Mangalpur Gram Panchayat Karka Tehsil Kota P. S. Kota District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh

6. Anita Baiga W/o Milaoram Baiga Aged About 26 Years R/o Village Mangalpur Gram Panchayat Karka Tehsil Kota P. S. Kota District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh

7. Amrika Bai Baiga W/o Chaitram Baiga Aged About 30 Years R/o Village Nevsa Tehsil Kota P. S. Kota District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh

8. Samaruram Baiga S/o Late Net Ram Baiga Aged About 60 Years R/o Village Nevsa Tehsil Kota P. S. Kota District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh

9. Rekha Bai W/o Budhram Aged About 26 Years R/o Village Aurapani Gram Panchayat Mazgaon P. O. Semaria P. S. Kota District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh

10. Shivkumari W/o Milap Aged About 24 Years R/o Village Umaria Gram Panchayat Umaria P. O. Belgahana P. S. Kota District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh

11. Harendra Singh Sijwali S/o Bahadur Singh Sijwali Aged About 32 Years R/o Jan Swasthya Sahyog I-4 Parijat Colony Nehru Nagar, P. S. Civil Lines Bilaspur 495001 Chhattisgarh

12. Jan Swasthya Abhiyan Chhattisgarh Through Its Joint National Convener Sulakshana Nandi W/o Samir Garg Age 42 C-503, Avenue 144 Amlidih P. S.

Rajendra Nagar Raipur Chhattisgarh ---- Petitioners Versus

1. State Of Chhattisgarh Through Its Chief Secretary Mantralaya Naya Raipur Chhattisgarh

2. Secretary Department Of Health And Family Welfare Government Of Chhattisgarh Mantralaya Naya Raipur Chhattisgarh

3. Commissioner, Department Of Tribal Welfare Government Of Chhattisgarh Mantralaya, Naya Raipur, Chhattisgarh

4. Secretary, Ministry Of Health And Family Welfare Government Of India Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi

5. Sub Divisional Officer Lormi S D M Office Block Lormi District Mungeli Chhattisgarh

6. Sub Divisional Officer, Kota S D M Office Block Kota District Bilaspur Chhattisgarh ---- Respondents ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Petitioners : Ms Rajni Soren, Advocate For Respondents/State : Shri AS Kachhawaha, Additional Advocate General ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hon'ble Shri Ajay Kumar Tripathi , Chief Justice Hon'ble Shri Justice Parth Prateem Sahu

Order on Board

Per Ajay Kumar Tripath i , Chief Justice

12.12.2018

1. The present Public Interest Litigation has been brought about by the petitioners who are supposed to belong to primitive tribal groups and are officially labelled as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG). They have a grievance that based on an archaic Office Order dated 13.12.1979 issued by the erstwhile state of Madhya Pradesh, specially the department of Public Health and Family Welfare, the tribes or sub-tribes whose names have been indicated and who inhabit the geographical areas indicated therein are barred from availing the facility of undergoing family planning procedure by Tubectomy or vasectomy etc.

2. According to the petitioners, such an embargo by an administrative order in the name of protection of the group violates their constitutional right under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

3. While the matter was under consideration, the State of Chhattisgarh has now issued yet another notification dated 26.05.2017, a copy of which is Annexure- R/1. This Circular permits sterilization but for which prior permission of the Sub-Di