300-yr-old village to get a school
18 May 2012 2:19 AM GMT
The Delhi High Court has come to the rescue of a 300-year-old village, Badarpur Khadar, situated in the north-east of the city. The village has no school and hence girls are forced to remain uneducated. In fact, the village has nothing except electricity, which came after directions from the court. It has no roads, no dispensary and no drinking water supply.
The only school accessible is about 6-8 km from the village, which only a few boys attend. Around 100 girls of the village have never gone to school.
Badarpur Khadar is the last municipal ward of Delhi—Ward number 272 — and the condition of the village is enough to suggest that the government does not care much for its welfare.
The order from the High Court came on an application of an NGO, Social Jurist, which had moved the High Court recently when it realised that despite the court's order two years ago, there has not been much progress. In these last two years, only electricity has reached the village. And only a boundary wall exist in the name of the school.
Taking the matter seriously, the High Court has ordered the Delhi government to construct a temporary structure before July while continuing to construct the school building.
Advocate Ashok Agarwal, appearing for the residents of the village, told Millennium Post, 'This is a national shame. This is not happening somewhere in the rural parts of the country, it is happening right in the capital city of India. I had visited the village recently and was surprised to see that not much has been even after two years. That is why we had approached the High Court.'
Apparently, after the High Court order two years ago, the Delhi government had given funds to DSIDC for constructing a school in the village.
In August 2010, the High Court, while disposing of the petition regarding this village, had directed the authorities to provide basic amenities to the residents of the village and had also observed that the matter could be brought before the notice of the court if the work stagnates.
Agarwal had also written to the Delhi government counsel in this regard in December last year, but to no avail.
Agarwal then moved the High Court, which again directed the authorities to comply with the earlier order of the High Court. But last month, when Agarwal had visited the village he found that except the boundary wall of the school, nothing has been done to construct the school. Agarwal moved the High Court again alleging that hundreds of school age children are being denied education due to the sheer negligence on the part of the government.
'It is submitted that the right guaranteed to these children under Articles 21 and 21-A of the Constitution and Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 has been violated with impunity. It is, therefore, prayed that necessary directions may kindly be issued to the respondents to forthwith start a school in Badarpur Khadar so that all school aged out of school children of the village can attend school,' the Social Jurist had said in its latest application.
The only school accessible is about 6-8 km from the village, which only a few boys attend. Around 100 girls of the village have never gone to school.
Badarpur Khadar is the last municipal ward of Delhi—Ward number 272 — and the condition of the village is enough to suggest that the government does not care much for its welfare.
The order from the High Court came on an application of an NGO, Social Jurist, which had moved the High Court recently when it realised that despite the court's order two years ago, there has not been much progress. In these last two years, only electricity has reached the village. And only a boundary wall exist in the name of the school.
Taking the matter seriously, the High Court has ordered the Delhi government to construct a temporary structure before July while continuing to construct the school building.
Advocate Ashok Agarwal, appearing for the residents of the village, told Millennium Post, 'This is a national shame. This is not happening somewhere in the rural parts of the country, it is happening right in the capital city of India. I had visited the village recently and was surprised to see that not much has been even after two years. That is why we had approached the High Court.'
Apparently, after the High Court order two years ago, the Delhi government had given funds to DSIDC for constructing a school in the village.
In August 2010, the High Court, while disposing of the petition regarding this village, had directed the authorities to provide basic amenities to the residents of the village and had also observed that the matter could be brought before the notice of the court if the work stagnates.
Agarwal had also written to the Delhi government counsel in this regard in December last year, but to no avail.
Agarwal then moved the High Court, which again directed the authorities to comply with the earlier order of the High Court. But last month, when Agarwal had visited the village he found that except the boundary wall of the school, nothing has been done to construct the school. Agarwal moved the High Court again alleging that hundreds of school age children are being denied education due to the sheer negligence on the part of the government.
'It is submitted that the right guaranteed to these children under Articles 21 and 21-A of the Constitution and Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 has been violated with impunity. It is, therefore, prayed that necessary directions may kindly be issued to the respondents to forthwith start a school in Badarpur Khadar so that all school aged out of school children of the village can attend school,' the Social Jurist had said in its latest application.
Next Story
