HC asks State for report on safety measures taken in Telangana government schools, colleges
The PIL was intended to highlight the ‘inaction of the state government in providing minimum security facilities in the government schools and colleges
By Newsmeter Network Published on 23 Nov 2023 1:18 PM GMT
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Hyderabad: On Thursday, the Telangana High Court directed the Telangana State government to file a compliance report on the steps taken by it in providing basic facilities and safety measures to the children studying in various government schools and students studying in government junior colleges across the state.
The steps included fire extinguishers, structural safety and soundness certificate of the buildings in which the schools and junior colleges are housed, sanitation, potable water to drink and a periodical inspection by the authorities concerned of the premises of the schools and colleges in tune with the norms promulgated in the National Disaster Management Authority Guidelines (NDMA) for school safety Policy, 2016.
A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti, directed the Telangana government to file the report within four weeks.
The Division Bench was adjudicating a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Keethineedi Akhil Sri Guru Teja, a team leader working at BA Continuum India Pvt Ltd in Madhapur, Hyderabad.
The PIL was intended to highlight the ‘inaction of the state government in providing minimum security facilities in the government schools and in government junior colleges across the state.’
The petitioner said he gathered information about the number of students studying in government schools and junior colleges in Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Ranga Reddy and Nalgonda districts and the safety measures placed in these schools.
He informed the court that 8,163 students are pursuing education in 12 government schools in Hyderabad city viz., Jawaharnagar, Ram Nagar, Yousufguda, Masab Tank, Raj Bhavan, Somajiguda, Nampally, Ameerpet, Prabhath Nagar, Borabanda, Vijayanagar and one government junior college in Aliya.
'No NOC and inspections'
While detailing the numbers, he alleged that none of the buildings have a single fire extinguisher and not a single building has been issued a certificate about their structural strength due to there being no inspections.
Further, he informed the court that 2,792 students are pursuing their education at government schools in Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy districts, but none of the schools have been issued with a NOC from the fire department and there was no inspection of the schools about the safety measures.
Chikkudu Prabhakar, counsel for the petitioner, informed the court that the Telangana government is obligated to provide medicines and first aid kits, provisions for water tanks, impart fire fighting training to teachers and students from Class X to XII, depute fire taskforce in every school and have fire department personnel conduct inspections once in every three months, among other such measures.
After hearing the arguments, the Division Bench issued notices to the chief secretary, principal secretaries of the School Education Department, Higher Education Department, Women and Child Welfare Department commissioner and director, School Education Department, Board of Intermediate Education, principal secretary, Home Department, DG TS Disaster Response & Fire Services, secretary, Ministry of Women Resource Development, New Delhi, directing them to respond to the notices within four weeks.
