High Court Calls For Haryana Govt's Affidavit On Working Conditions Of Basic Amenities In Government Schools

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has sought an affidavit from the Haryana Government on working conditions of the basic amenities and other facilities provided in the schools.

The Court had earlier flagged the "Government's insensitivity" towards Govt. schools in Haryana which lacks basic amenities "like rooms, electricity, toilets as well as drinking water."

Justice Vinod S. Bhardwaj said, "Let affidavit be filed specifically in relation to working conditions of the basic amenities and other facilities provided in the schools."

The State counsel informed the Court that "the infrastructure work is at advance stage of development and that as against the requirement of 8240 additional class rooms, 751 class rooms have already been constructed and the work for construction of 1082 class rooms is also in progress while in relation to 1917 class rooms, works have been sanctioned and same are under tendering process."

The Court questioned, the status of basic amenities and other facilities that are claimed to have been provided and whether the system provided in the schools is audible and washrooms (boys and girls) are functional or not.

Answering the query, Sr.DAG Shruti Jain, sought one weeks time to file a specific response to the same.

The matter is listed for August 08, for further consideration.

Background

In November, Justice Vinod Bhardwaj noted that while the Central government is vigorously pursuing 'Swachh Bharat' Mission and wanting setting up toilets for every household, in Haryana the picture is absolutely marred amid "repeated instances of girls being sexually harassed and assaulted in schools in Haryana, absence of toilet in 538 girls schools."

In October 2022, noticing a large number of anomalies and inaction by the officials in providing the basic amenities to the students in Government Schools in Haryana, the Court had sought an affidavit from the Director General of Secondary Education.

The affidavits revealed that Rs.1,176.38 crores could not be utilized over a period of 10 years while the budget allocation of Rs. 13,420.97 crores by the State Government remained unutilized for the same period. Stating that the Court is "perturbed by such heavy non-utilization of the allocated budget," further details were sought.

Justice Bhardwaj noted that the affidavit filed by the Director was nothing more than "jugglery of statics" with no commitment to addressing the core issues.

Mr. Pardeep Kumar Rapria, Advocate, for the petitioners.

Ms. Shruti Jain, Sr. D.A.G. Haryana.

AMARJEET AND OTHERS V. STATE OF HARYANA AND OTHERS

Click here to read/download the order