Chandigarh, Sept. 19 -- The high court has directed Punjab and Haryana to produce the annual reports of state mental healthcare authorities.

The directions were passed in a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Pushpanjali Trust, a welfare society seeking implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 that provides for availability of basic and emergency mental healthcare services at all community centres in the state, budgetary provisions for effective implementation, establishment of half-way homes and group homes, educational and training programmes for the education of persons with mental illness.

"We may also indicate that the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, is an important legislation which is required to be implemented by the...