Chandigarh, July 28 -- The high court has directed the chief secretaries of Punjab and Haryana to file their personal affidavits regarding implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act-2017 in the respective states.

"It is unfortunate that despite repeated orders passed by this court, the provisions of the Act have not been implemented in the manner, as was expected from the states of Punjab and Haryana," the bench of acting chief justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra observed while hearing a clutch of petitions.

The public interest litigations (PIL) filed by Pushpanjali Trust, a welfare society seeking implementation of the law and others say it provides for availability of basic and emergency mental healthcare services at all community centres i...