The Delhi High Court on Monday stayed the Delhi Commission for Women’s order summoning the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on the issue of safety of girls in primary schools. Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri also issued notice and sought response from the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on a petition filed by the MCD challenging the commission’s June 2 order.
MCD’s counsel informed the court that an additional director (education) in place of the MCD commissioner would appear before the commission on June 9 to respond to the panel’s findings. The High Court listed the matter for further hearing on July 20 and said that till then the MCD commissioner be summoned on the orders of the DCW.
The DCW summoned the MCD commissioner on June 2 after the corporation sought two months’ time to respond to a notice on the safety of girls in primary schools. The DCW had launched a probe into the security situation of girls in Delhi’s primary schools after the alleged sexual assault of two minor girls in Bhajanpura on April 30.
The panel’s team had visited four primary schools of MCD in May and inspected school buildings as well as interacted with students, teachers and other school staff. The panel had said that during the inspection, several obvious irregularities and serious deficiencies were noticed by the commission. The DCW had asked the MCD commissioner to respond to the panel’s findings by June 9.
“It is shocking that instead of taking prompt action on our important findings, MCD has chosen to turn a blind eye to the safety and security of primary students. DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal had said that the apathy of the MCD officials has put the lives of lakhs at risk and has now sought two months’ time for the commission to respond.
DCW had said that the MCD has attributed the delay in their response to the recent integration of the three MCDs. Maliwal had said that there can be no excuse for further mismanagement and negligence. “We will not let the MCD go free. I have summoned the MCD commissioner to appear before the DCW and submit the action taken report within a week.
The DCW, in its summons, had said that the MCD has “unreasonably” failed to provide vital information despite the grave danger posed to young students in MCD schools. “Any delay in rectifying the apparent abnormalities in MCD schools will render the office of the MCD Commissioner liable for gross criminal negligence,” a statement from the panel had said. The Commission had further said that the MCD was expected to act swiftly and take immediate corrective measures on the issue of safety and security of children and teachers in schools.
DCW had visited four primary schools of MCD in May. In a school premises inspected by the DCW on May 20 and 21, the panel had claimed that it found syringes, drugs, cigarette cases, gutka wrappers and even broken liquor bottles.
The panel had said that there was overcrowding in four schools and it was clear that norms of teacher-student ratio were not being followed. The civic body, in a statement, had countered the allegations, saying that the broken syringes were found only due to the existence of a corporation dispensary near the school located at Park.
It had also said that the MCD school at Bhati Mines was facing difficulty in providing full facilities as it is located on forest department land, while the corporation school at Aruna Nagar would be renovated soon.
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