HC seeks details of budget utilisation for school infra from Haryana govt

The high court bench of justice Vinod S Bhardwaj directed the director general, senior secondary school education to provide details within three weeks

: The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought details of budget utilisation for school infrastructure in the past 10 years from Haryana government.

HC seeks details of budget utilisation for school infra from Haryana govt

The high court bench of justice Vinod S Bhardwaj directed the director general, senior secondary school education to provide details within three weeks of the various grants/budget allocation received from Centre/state government for providing educational facilities to the children, including the infrastructure facilities.

He has also been asked to furnish whether the said disbursements over the last 10 years were utilised by the state or had to be surrendered for want of utilisation. The court while posting the matter for December 19 made it clear that if affidavit is not filed by the officer, he would remain present for the hearing.

The court was hearing a plea filed in 2017 by one Amarjeet and other villagers from Kaithal who had approached the court demanding that safety of students ensured from the dilapidated building that had already been declared unfit and dangerous for students.

The issue was about the Government Senior Secondary School, Balu, in Kaithal, and petitioner had told court that there were a total of 14 rooms in the school complex that had already been declared unsafe and hazardous for occupation. After the plea was filed, the rooms were demolished but now schools is left with only 5 rooms constructed in 2017. Now due to shortage of rooms, the classes are being run in shifts and the availability of the basic facilities in the school have further deteriorated.

The government in response to the plea had not disputed these facts but had told the court that an amount of ₹ 52 lakh was approved in January 2020 for six additional rooms and construction would start soon.

The court observed that no satisfactory explanation was forthcoming as to why work could not be initiated even after two years of sanctioning of the amount.

“The same clearly shows lack of sensitivity of the state agencies in providing infrastructure and basic facilities to the students,” the bench recorded, asking the state to submit details of budget utilisation for school infrastructure in the past 10 years. The court also sought an affidavit from the DG as to why the construction could not be started.