LI Network
Published on: November 26, 2023 at 17:55 IST
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has called for the appearance of senior officials from the Education Department in response to alarming reports of sexual harassment against girl students and the lack of washroom facilities in government schools in Haryana.
Justice Vinod Bhardwaj highlighted the stark insensitivity of the government, pointing out the dire conditions in government schools that lack essential amenities such as rooms, electricity, toilets, and drinking water.
The court observed that while the Central government is actively promoting the ‘Swachh Bharat’ Mission, Haryana faces a grim reality with repeated incidents of girls being sexually harassed and assaulted, coupled with the absence of toilets in 538 girls’ schools.
This judicial intervention comes after the court, in October 2022, took note of numerous irregularities and inaction by officials in providing basic amenities to students in government schools.
An affidavit was sought from the Director General of Secondary Education, revealing that a substantial budget of Rs.1,176.38 crores remained unutilized over a decade.
The state government’s allocation of Rs.13,420.97 crores for the same period also went unused, prompting the court to seek further details and express concern over the massive non-utilization of allocated funds.
Justice Bhardwaj criticized the affidavit filed by the Director, describing it as mere “jugglery of statistics” without a commitment to addressing core issues.
The court noted the absence of specific timelines for providing essential facilities and additional classrooms, criticizing the Department of Education for shifting the burden instead of shouldering the responsibility for ensuring quality education.
Expressing disappointment over the lack of improvement despite assurances, the court ordered the personal appearance of the Principal Secretary and Director of the Department of Education in the next hearing. They are required to submit affidavits outlining timelines for completing pending infrastructure and amenities projects and to file a compliance report.
As a mark of displeasure, the court imposed a cost of Rs. 5 lakhs and kept open the question of fixing administrative responsibility for the lapses. The matter is scheduled for the next hearing on December 15.
