The Bombay High Court has sought highest level bureaucratic intervention on the issue of 'pitiable conditions' in which young girls in Satara district of Maharashtra have been taking an arduous journey to their school.
It has directed that Chief Secretary of Maharashtra to consult with other stakeholders and devise a solution by August 30.
A division bench led by Justice PB Varale commented on recent news reports that there are two helipads in Satara district, from where Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde hails, but the area severely lacks proper infrastructure.
"We dont mind helipads in some villages but at the same time we also want to see roads for children to go to school or college, finish their education and help the society."
The court was hearing a
suo motu PIL according to which girls from Khirvandi village, a protected area in Satara, are forced to ply boats from one end of Koyna Dam to the other end and from there take a nearly 4 km journey through a dense forest to school. Their school begins at 9 am. The news item in online portal MumbaiTak states that the forest is inhabited by wild animals including bears and tigers.
During the hearing, amicus Advocate Sanjeev Kadam said he had filed an affidavit earlier this month giving certain solutions.
Justice Varale then observed, "As there are various aspects involved in these (Amicus's) measures and as the PIL cannot be treated as an adversarial, we deem it fit to issue the following directions."
The Chief Secretary of Maharashtra was directed to convene a meeting of secretaries of the state's education department, higher and technical education department, social justice department and finance department and seek their responses on the measures mentioned in the affidavit.
"And on seeking such responses, the Chief Secretary, along with his opinion, shall prepare a report indicating a permanent Sol to the issue involved in the present PIL," the court ordered.
It further ordered that the CS's report must be prepared within 3 days of conducting the meeting. Moreover, the report should be submitted to this court along with the affidavit of deputy secretary of the general administration department.
The matter will now be listed for further consideration.
