HC upholds Delhi govt's order to take over school management

A bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw dismissed the plea of New Rajinder Nagar-based Vidya Bhawan Girls Senior Secondary School against the city lieutenant governor's September 7, 2012 order for taking over the school management for next two years.

The bench rejected the school's arguments that no inspection was carried by the Education Department before passing the order to take over its management.

It was also argued that following the department's July 2010 show-cause notice, it had given explanations over the allegations of irregularities and malpractices against the school management but no opportunity was given to it over the subsequent allegation of factions in the management.

The court, however said, "We are of the view that the impugned order does not suffer on the ground that non-speaking order of the petitioner (school) was issued with the said order without any opportunity to explain the subsequent events or for that matter, the inspection was not carried on before the impugned order was passed under Section 20 of the Act..."

Following complaints of irregularities and malpractices and also disputes in management, the city government had in September 2012 decided to take over the management for a period of two years.

The bench referred to the high court's April 8, 2012 order which had asked the government to take over the management immediately after some employees had approached the court.