The Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow Bench has issued a stern directive to the Uttar Pradesh government, seeking immediate action to bolster the safety and security of school children. This development follows a pronounced dissatisfaction with the state’s compliance with the Supreme Court’s directives from the landmark 2009 Avinash Mehrotra case.
Justices Alok Mathur and B R Singh, presiding over the case, have mandated the presence of a high-ranking official, no less than a principal secretary, to submit a detailed affidavit by September 5. The court has expressed readiness to summon the Chief Secretary should the forthcoming affidavit fail to meet its expectations.
The order emerged from a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) initiated by residents along the Gomti River Bank, which highlighted ongoing lapses in adhering to the Supreme Court’s safety guidelines for school children. In response to the PIL, the bench has also directed the joint commissioner of the traffic police to ensure that school transportation strictly adheres to safe pickup and drop-off protocols within school premises, particularly around Hazratganj and Raj Bhawan areas.
During the hearing, the state’s counsel presented extensive documentation from inspections conducted across five districts. However, the bench critiqued these submissions, noting the absence of substantive inquiry reports and revealing that the documents consisted merely of forms filled out by school principals.
The Avinash Mehrotra case, which set the precedent in 2009, established a comprehensive three-tiered structure for accountability, aimed at enforcing safety protocols across educational institutions. Additionally, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has been roped in to aid state governments in this crucial task.
