2 months to file report on working conditions of coprn schools

: Madras High Court today granted two months time to the state School Education secretary to inspect corporation schools in the city and file a report before it on their working conditions as per the report of the court appointed committee constituted for the purpose.
The First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice R Mahadevan bench stated this while refusing to accept what it said was the excuse for non-compliance of its order to file the report of the Committee on implementing a Government Order to provide basic facilities in government, government aided and private schools in the city .

The Bench was hearing a PIL from V Karthikeyan,Secretary Chennai Wing of the Revolutionary Student Youth Front, praying for a direction to the government toimplement the Dec 22 2012 G.O in this regard and to appoint a perennial committee, comprising technical experts,educationists and representatives of parents and students, to monitor its implementation
The bench warned the Government that If the report was not filed three days before the next date of hearing on sept 2, the Secretary would have to personally appear in court.
The petitioner referred to two students of a Corporation Middle School who were injured in a roof collapse on Jan 10 2014 and sought a direction of compensation to the injured.

The bench had on August 14 2014 had appointed a Committee under Dr D Rajendran, the then Joint director of School Education, with two other retired Head and Assistant Head Masters and directed them to complete inspection of Corporation Schools within three months.

The matter was heard by the bench continuously and the bench was passing interim orders on the same.
On June 10 2016 the HC said despite its orders on several occasions, there was no compliance by filing the Committee's report before the court.
When the matter again came up today, Government submitted that non-compliance was because D Rajendran had retired in March 2016 .

The bench said "the excuse is completely specious in character because Dr D Rajendran was appointed by name to preside over the committee,which had two other retired members. His retirement did not take away his status as Chairman of the Committee."
Counsel for the Secretary,School Education Department, assured that the report would be filed within two months.
The bench said if it is not filed before three days of the next date of hearing (Sept 2), the Secretary would have to personally be present in Court.
The bench then posted the matter to that date.