HC posts PIL for further hearing to March 12

The Madras High Court has posted to March 12 for further hearing a PIL seeking sufficient infrastructure facilities in Corporation schools in Chennai while ordering that efforts should be made to complete the task within four months "so that on re-opening after summer vacation all schools are compliant."
In its interim order, the First Bench,comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M.M. Sundresh, before which a report was submitted by the committee, appointed by it, said "The committee has submitted its report and the finding is that only 68 schools out of 281 schools met all the requirements.The defects arising on various parameters by the other schools required to be remedied have been set out."

The matter relates to a PIL filed by one V Karthikeyan, Secretary, Chennai Wing Revolutionary Students Youth Front, Chennai, in which he sought a direction to the State Education Department to implement a government order dated October 22 2012 and to appoint a committee comprising technical experts, educationalists, and parents and students to monitor the implementation of the G.O.
The government order relates to provisions of facilities to schools falling under government, government aided and in private schools such as building, drinking water, toilet facilities, electricity, benches for students, among others.
The PIL was filed when two students of Manali, Sadayankuppam Corporation Middle School were injured when the school building roof collapsed in January last.

The court had appointed a Committee presided over by Dr. D. Rajendran, Joint Director of School Education, to study the matter.
Counsel for Corporation had sought six months time to remedy the defects.
While posting the matter for further hearing to March 12, the bench observed that it would like to monitor the matter and instead of waiting for full period of time, directed the counsel for corporation to file monthly progress report showing in which of the schools and to what extent compliances have taken place.