No Toilets, Mattresses, Fire Extinguishers Or Wardens In Hostels For Children: PIL In Telangana High Court Seeks Enforcement Of NCPCR Guidelines

The Telangana High Court has issued notice to the State Minority and Tribal Welfare Authorities and various State Minority Residential Educational Institutions in a PIL seeking enforcement of Guidelines and Regulations laid down by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, 2018.

The PIL is filed before the Division Bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T. Vinod Kumar by a Hyderabad resident seeking directions from the Court for installation of bathrooms, toilets and wardens in Government run Hostels of the Educational Institutions for Children and standalone hostels as per the minimum mandatory requirement ratio that is stipulated under Chapter-IV guidelines of the NCPCR.

"Bathrooms 1:10 ratio, Toilets 1:7 ratio, Wardens 1:50 ratio, which at present less in respect of Bathrooms 644, Toilets 1058 and Wardens 258 in the Hostels of the Educational Institutions for Children and in this standalone hostels Bathrooms 1:10 ratio, Fire Extinguishers, Mattresses, Pillows and Toilets 1:7 ratio, which less in respect of Bathrooms 259 and Toilets 419”. Fire Extinguishers, Mattresses, Pillows were also not providing properly in terms of the Chapter-IV of the guidelines" the petitioner stated as per the information received by filing RTI applications.

The contention of the petitioner is that despite specific guidelines and regulations being laid down by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Government run residential educational institution have not provided basic facilities such as Bathrooms, Toilets, Mattresses, Pillows, Fire Extinguishers and Wardens.

"...being an welfare state, State and Central Governments cannot be taken such an arbitrary and illegal and whimsical decisions, which are adversely effecting on the right to life of lakhs of the Children at large and violating the Fundamental Rights of the Children at large and violating the guidelines of the National Commission of Protection for Child Rights" the petitioner contended.

The petitioner further prayed the Court to direct the authorities to submit a status report regarding bathrooms and toilets in standalone hostels for children from across the State.

Petitioner Advocate : Prabhakar Chikkudu

Case Title: Keethineedi Akhil Sri Guru Teja v. State