The Uttarakhand High Court issued notice on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed seeking directions to the respondents to raise boundary walls of the school compound, construct toilets, provide furniture, library, lab and drinking water facilities to the students of the Government Inter College, Padampur Meedar Development Block, Okalkanda, Tehsil Dahri, District Nainital.
The petitioner stated that the respondents were directed, as early as on 09.10.2018, in a Petition (PIL) of 2018, to reconstruct the boundary wall to the normal height, to whitewash the building, and also to repair the toilets within a period of three months in respect of the same school. Despite the said directions, there is no compliance. The petitioner has placed on record several photographs of the school, which show the present state of things.
On perusal of the photographs the Court observed that the school is lying in shambles.
“We wonder how any educational activity can be undertaken in such a school.”
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Alok Kumar Verma therefore, directed the Secretary, Secondary Education, Uttarakhand to personally look into the issue raised by the petitioner in the Petition, and to take immediate remedial steps, without waiting for any further orders.
The High Court further directed the respondents authorities to file their respective affidavits, explaining their apparent dereliction of duty in respect of the school and the Director, Secondary Education, Uttarakhand to remain present in the High Court on the next date.
Matter is listed on 31.08.2023 for further hearing.