HC seeks govt's reply over return of stranded students

RAIPUR:

Chhattisgarh

high court has sought a reply from state government over the issue of bringing back around 3,000 students stuck in Kota in Rajasthan.

Rajesh Ranjan Sinha

had filed an intervention application in the Chhattisgarh high court for bringing back around 3,000 students stranded in Kota where they are pursuing higher secondary education and simultaneously studying at coaching centres.

Petitioner's counsel Rajesh Kumar Kesharwani told TOI that an intervention application was mentioned before the division bench of justice

Prashant Kumar Mishra

and justice

Goutam Bhaduri

that the students, aged about 16-20 years, having been stranded there, are being adversely impacted due to the atmosphere of fear and terror because of the highly infectious rate of the Covid-19 virus, which is leading those students towards depression and the parents residing in Chhattisgarh are constrained to feel helpless and worried.

Recently the state government came into action and took some measures in order to facilitate the students through providing basic amenities and arranging a transport mechanism for the students or the parents to bring the students back home. But unfortunately, the matter is being delayed and the grievance of the students and their parents is not being resolved, the counsel mentioned in the application.

In the wake of imposition of immediate lockdown, the male students formed groups and immediately left for their hometowns but the majority of the students, who are mostly girl students, are awaiting their local guardians or parents to arrange them to come back to Chhattisgarh, the high court was informed.

Many of the parents, as the intervenor himself, have applied for travel passes in order to be able to travel to Kota, Rajasthan to bring their children back to their homes but the requests have been kept in abeyance with no specific communication in that regard, he said.

The petitioner sought high court intervention in the matter through a direction to the state government to make necessary arrangements for rescue of the students, he added.

Meanwhile, advocate general Satish Chandra Verma told TOI that the state counsel will inform the high court about measures taken by the state government on April 27, on the date of next hearing on the intervention application.

After a brief hearing, the high court has sought reply from state government related to bringing back the students from the state who have got stuck due to lockdown in Kota, Rajsthan. The high court has fixed April 27 for next hearing.