Umamageswari Maruthappan
The Karnataka High Court has directed the Karnataka State Government to disclose the complete details of the schools that it is intending to repair.
A petition was filed by the Anti-Corruption Council of India directing the Apex Court’s attention towards the affidavit of Additional Director, Samagra Shikshana, Karnataka and the Litigation Conducting Officer.
The affidavit states that the government is looking forward to building 573 new classrooms, and 640 new toilets in schools. It also affirmed that repair works would be undertaken in 584 schools.
The Bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and M G Uma however interrogated on the absence of any specific details regarding the schools that were undertaken by the State for repair works.
“The affidavit does not disclose the addresses of the schools where the aforesaid works have to be carried out. In other words, it is not known whether specific schools have been identified in the state for carrying out the aforesaid work,”observed the Bench.
“Is it only a bombastic figure given without identifying the schools? Is there a survey carried out for identifying the classrooms? Otherwise it is all talking in the air. We don’t want to pass orders in the air,” it added.
The petition was filed in 2018 requesting the High Court to issue the writ of mandamus or to direct the authorities to conduct physical inspection of schools.
The Court in its earlier order had directed the Karnataka Legal Services Authority to visit schools and submit reports of the same. Around 899 schools were surveyed for a sample and the report revealed that 63% of schools had separate toilets for girls, 40% lacked a safe drinking water facility, 19% of schools had no electricity connection, etc.
The Court postponed the hearing to 25th February 2021.