Uttarakhand HC Permits State Govt. To Buy Need Based Items; Still No Luxury Items Till Schools Have Basic Amenities [Read Order]

The High Court of Uttarakhand has modified its order restraining the State Government from buying luxury cars, furniture and air conditioners etc, after it noticed that the State had failed to provide schools with bare minimum facilities such as benches, desks, blackboards, hygienic separate toilets for boys and girls, water purifiers and ceiling fans, as per the court directions.The Court has now permitted the State to buy “need based items i.e. water purifiers taking into consideration the summer season, that too, by the approval of the Chief Secretary, Government of Uttarakhand.” It, however, clarified that the State is still not permitted to buy luxury cars, furniture, ACs, etc, till further Court orders.The Bench comprising Justice Alok Singh and Justice Rajiv Sharma had, on Thursday, noted that the State had failed to implement an order dated 19 November, 2016, wherein the Court had issued the following mandatory directions to the State Government: To provide all the schools with benches, desks, blackboards (with chalk and duster), computers, well stack library and well equipped science laboratory within three months. The state government is directed to construct hygienic toilets for boys and girls separately. The head of the institution shall be personally responsible to maintain hygiene of toilets. The state government is directed to provide two sets of uniform to all students of government schools as well as aided-schools twice in a year. The state government is directed to provide mid-day meals to all students up to secondary level. The state government is also directed to ensure that all the school buildings should be well-lit and duly ventilated. The state government is directed to provide sufficient number of water purifiers as per the strength of the students in all the schools for drinking water. In winter closing schools, all the schools should keep adequate number of heaters and the building should be kept warm. In summer closing schools, the sufficient number of ceiling fans should be provided. The state government is directed to increase the grant for duly recognized and affiliated madrasa to at least Rs. 20,000 per annum under Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan. All the students belonging to SC & ST and BPL categories shall be paid suitable stipend. All primary schools, upper primary schools and secondary schools shall ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, in letter and spirit.The Court had then summoned the Secretary (Education), State of Uttarakhand. The Secretary had informed the Court that the matter was taken up by the Finance Department of the State on 14 March, but no response had been received from it yet.“It reflects a very sorry state of affairs. The peremptory directions were issued by the Court on 19.11.2016, to arrest the falling standards of education in the State of Uttarakhand and to provide at least bare minimum infrastructure and wherewithal in Government run schools… Since, the State Government miserably failed to provide minimum bare facilities in schools inter alia benches, desks, blackboards, hygienic separate toilets for boys and girls, Water Purifiers and ceiling fans, the State Government is restrained from buying luxurious Cars, Furniture and Air Conditioners etc. till further orders of this Court,” the Court had thereafter ordered.Read the Order here.

Uttarakhand HC Permits State Govt. To Buy Need Based Items; Still No Luxury Items Till Schools Have Basic Amenities [Read Order]

Apoorva Mandhani

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