| HC asks Education, R&B deptts to file status report by Oct 30 | | 275 schools reopened after floods in unhygienic condition | | Srinagar, Oct 28 : Amid a report by Health and Medical Education Department that 275 schools which were reopened after floods had unhygienic conditions, a high court division bench today granted time till October 30 to school education and R&B departments to file status report about the safety of the education institutes in the valley.
"A status report by the deputy secretary to Government, Health and Medical Education, has been filed highlighting that in districts of Shopian, Bandipora, Srinagar, Kulgam, Pulwama Anantnag and Budgam, the condition of schools is unhygienic and the buildings are unfit for that reason to function," the division bench of Chief Justice M M Kumar and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey said.
According to the report, 91 schools in Kulgam, 52 in Pulwama, 33 in Anantnag, 12 in Shopian, 50 in Srinagar, 17 in Budgam and 20 in Bandipora district have been found unfit hygienically for the students to study. As other official respondents like school education and R&B had not filed status report, the court directed them to file the same byOctober 30.
The Division Bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation, initiated by it on an open appeal made by some parents who have supported it with a news report published in a local daily, highlighting that private as well as public schools have thrown open their institutions for the children and have asked pupils themselves to undertake the cleanliness measures. Earlier as the hearing in the PIL started, Amicus Curie, G A Lone raised two additional issues, one regarding examinations and other about the charging of fee by private schools. Subsequently, senior Additional Advocate General S A Naik said that a decision has been already taken by the government to hold the examination in the month of March.
"Let the same be placed on record," the bench said.Regarding the other query raised by advocate Lone that schools like DPS, Mallinson, Tydale Biscoe, Presentation Convent and others are charging fee for the month of September/October, the bench issued notice and asked them to explain it on next date of hearing on Thursday. The bench also issued notice to government on an application filed by a lawyer, seeking directions to the government to conduct all examinations in November as against March announced by the state government recently. |
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