The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court expressed strong displeasure over the UP government’s failure to ensure the safety and security of school children as per the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Avinash Mehrotra case. The Bench directed the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to assign an officer of at least principal secretary rank to provide an explanation and file an affidavit by September 5.

The court warned that if it finds the affidavit unsatisfactory, the chief secretary might be summoned to appear in court. The order was issued by Justices Alok Mathur and B.R. Singh in response to a PIL filed by Gomti River Bank residents, highlighting non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s 2009 guidelines for school children’s safety.

The Bench also instructed the joint commissioner of traffic police to ensure that school children are dropped off and picked up within school premises in the Hazratganj and Raj Bhawan areas. The state counsel presented records from five districts regarding school inspections, but the Bench found them inadequate, consisting only of forms submitted by school principals rather than proper inquiry reports.

In the Avinash Mehrotra case, the Supreme Court had established a three-level accountability structure to enforce safety guidelines, with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) also tasked with assisting state governments.

Source: PTI

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