High court notice to HP chief secy over demolition of Mandi school building

A HP high court division bench comprising passed these orders on a petition taken up suo motu as a public interest litigation on a letter addressed to the chief justice by one student of the Vijay Senior Secondary School in Mandi

The Himachal Pradesh high court on Friday issued notices to chief secretary, principal secretary (education), Mandi DC and deputy director (higher education) in a petition alleging destruction of the building and playground of Vijay Senior Secondary School in Mandi by the state government.

The HP high court directed the respondents to submit their replies before next date and posted the matter after two weeks. (HT file photo)

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua passed these orders on a petition taken up suo motu as a public interest litigation on a letter addressed to the chief justice by one student of the Vijay Senior Secondary School.

The petitioner has alleged that during the lockdown, the state government demolished the school building, playground and stage besides covering the vacant space, which “gave the school a congested feeling”.

He has alleged that big shopping malls are proposed to be constructed there, which would benefit “few rich persons and political leaders”. He has claimed that the existence of a playground is projected as one of the prerequisites for opening a private school, but here the government itself has destroyed the playground. Local residents, media and social organisations are not coming forward due to fear of the government, he added. A primary school was being run in the building, which was also closed a few years ago and now the government is illegally plotting to shut the senior secondary school, he alleged.

The petitioner has said that poor, orphaned and migrant children are studying in the school and the students are being “mentally pressured” by officials with threats of spoiling their results and are also being given various allurements. He has alleged that if immediate respite is not provided by taking action in the matter, there is the possibility that some students may commit self-immolation in order to save the school. He has also mentioned that former chief justice Swantanter Kumar has also studied in the said school.

The court directed the respondents to submit their replies before next date and posted the matter after two weeks.