Jaipur, March 5 (IANS) The Rajasthan High Court has expressed strong displeasure over the poor condition of buildings and classrooms in government schools across the state, observing that very little progress has been made in repair work despite repeated accidents in different districts.
The court noted that repair work has begun in only four schools since July, raising serious concerns about the pace of action taken by the authorities.
The remarks were made on Thursday by a division bench comprising Justice Mahendra Goyal and Justice Ashok Kumar Jain while hearing a suo motu petition initiated after the recent Jhalawar school incident.
The bench observed that it was alarming that despite several incidents in different districts, including Bharatpur and Bundi, the state government was still at the stage of issuing tenders for repair work in many places.
During the hearing, the court also observed that the budget allocated for repair work is set to lapse in March, yet the authorities have not taken timely steps to ensure that the work is completed.
The judges questioned the priorities of the government and expressed concern over the safety of students studying in dilapidated school buildings.
“What is the government trying to do? Schools do not appear to be a priority,” the court orally remarked during the hearing.
The bench further indicated that if the situation continues, the court may consider appointing a chartered engineer to inspect government school buildings across the state.
According to the proposal discussed during the hearing, from July 1 only those schools certified as safe by the engineer would be allowed to operate, while repair work would continue in buildings that are found to be unsafe.
Responding to the court’s concerns, the state government submitted that it was facing financial constraints and requested the bench not to pass such an order.
The government counsel informed the court that budgetary limitations were affecting the pace of the repair work.
However, the bench made it clear that financial constraints cannot be used as an excuse when the safety of students is involved.
“Budget is the government’s problem; it is not ours,” the court observed, adding that directions issued by the court must be complied with regardless of financial difficulties.
The bench also noted that it had earlier directed the Chief Secretary to submit a status report on the steps taken to address the issue.
When the Advocate General informed the court that the report had not yet been filed, the bench directed the Chief Secretary to submit a detailed affidavit outlining the progress made so far in implementing the court’s earlier orders.
–IANS
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