Raj HC seeks roadmap on unsafe school buildings

Jaipur: Taking a tough stand on the condition of govt school buildings, a division bench of the Rajasthan high court Thursday directed chief secretary to file a detailed affidavit outlining a comprehensive roadmap for construction and repairs, along with safety compliance measures across the state. The court also sought details of action proposed against erring officials in case of future mishaps.The direction came during the hearing of a suo motu PIL arising out of the Jhalawar school incident in July last year. The bench of Justice Mahendra Goyal and Justice Ashok Kumar Jain expressed serious concern over repeated building and roof collapses reported from districts including Bundi, Rajsamand and Bharatpur since after the Jhalawar incident.
Pulling up the state govt, Justice Jain posed pointed questions to advocate general Rajendra Prasad, observing that despite earlier assurances only 4 to 5 school buildings saw the commencement of repair work in several months. "The present situation is an eyewash. Some concrete steps need to be taken to keep the children safe," the bench remarked.The court further observed, "Why should we not appoint a chartered engineer so that from July 1 only those schools certified by such an expert are allowed to function, while repair work continues in the remaining buildings?"As per the additional affidavit filed by education secretary, nearly ₹20,000 crore is required for the construction and repairs of unsafe and dilapidated school buildings, out of which ₹1,624 crore is sanctioned. The state govt also submitted that ₹1,000 crore is proposed for 2026–27 for the construction and repairs of new and dilapidated buildings.Terming the allocation "peanuts" compared to the requirement, the court noted submissions by the amicus curiae drawing attention to judicial precedents holding that it is not for the court to examine how the state will arrange funds. "The obligation to ensure safety and infrastructure lies squarely with the govt," the court said.When the advocate general again referred to procedural delays and structural audits taking time, the bench reiterated that the state is constitutionally bound to ensure safe educational infrastructure and cannot risk children's lives.The court also questioned whether any building was constructed strictly in accordance with prescribed safety guidelines and proposed that no govt school building should function without a mandatory structural safety certificate."No govt school should have more than 2 floors, pre-primary classes must operate only on the ground floor, and proper fencing and protective measures must be ensured," the court observed.The matter has been listed for further hearing on March 19.