HC seeks Punjab govt response on unsafe school buildings

Chandigarh: Taking up a public interest litigation (PIL) highlighting unsafe and dilapidated govt school buildings across Punjab, the Punjab and Haryana high court has issued a notice to the Punjab govt to file its response.The matter was heard on Tuesday by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Yashvir Singh Rathore. The petition, filed by advocate Nikhil Thamman, raises concerns over students and staff being forced to function in structurally compromised buildings.The PIL points to multiple schools in districts, including Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Ropar, Amritsar, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar and Kapurthala, where infrastructure is reportedly in a dangerous state. Issues cited include cracked walls, falling plaster, leaking roofs and exposed iron reinforcements. Despite visible damage, several classrooms continue to be used, posing significant safety risks.The petitioner contends that many of these buildings are decades old and have not undergone proper safety audits or timely maintenance, increasing the likelihood of accidents, particularly during adverse weather conditions.The plea seeks urgent directions for a comprehensive, statewide structural audit of all govt school buildings, immediate closure of unsafe structures and time-bound repair or reconstruction. It further states that prior representations by the petitioner to authorities have yielded no effective action, necessitating judicial intervention.