Allahabad HC orders closure of unsafe 100-year-old girls' school building in Lucknow

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday ordered closure of all academic activities within a week at the nearly 100-year-old Chutki Bhandar Girls Inter College in Husainganj after declaring the building structurally unsafe.

The court directed the district inspector of schools (DIOS) to ensure that students of the institution are shifted to other suitable schools. It also ordered the adjustment of teachers and non-teaching staff at other institutions while protecting their service benefits.

The order was passed by a bench of Justices Alok Mathur and Brij Raj Singh on a public interest litigation filed by Vijay Kumar Pandey.

According to the petition, the school building was in an extremely dilapidated condition and faced an imminent risk of collapse.

Taking note of the seriousness of the issue, the court earlier directed the DIOS and engineers of the Public Works Department (PWD) to inspect the building and submit a report.

The inspection report submitted before the court stated that most walls of the building showed signs of ''shear failure cracks'' and ''structural failure''. It further noted that the reinforced brick concrete (RBC) roof structure was beyond repair.

After examining the report, the bench held that the entire building was unsafe for academic activities.

The court also noted that classrooms numbered 11, 13, 17 and 18 had already been closed by the institution itself. It subsequently directed that no classes be conducted in any part of the building.

The bench directed the DIOS to ensure complete closure of academic activities on the school premises within a week and facilitate admission of students to other suitable schools.

The court observed that students and parents should first try to secure admission in schools of their choice and, in case of any difficulty, they may approach the DIOS for assistance.

During the hearing, the court was informed that the institution is an aided school and salaries of teachers and staff are paid by the state government.

The bench, therefore, directed that teachers and non-teaching staff be adjusted elsewhere in accordance with rules and that their service benefits remain protected.

The court also permitted the institution's management committee to explore reconstruction of the school building and seek financial assistance from the state government under the Alankar Scheme.

The matter has been listed for further hearing on July 16 and the court has sought a compliance report by then.

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