High Court asks forest department to respond on land needed for govt school

NEW DELHI: Delhi High Court has asked Delhi government’s Forest Department to urgently respond to the Education Department’s request to denotify forest land in the Bhati mines area for construction of permanent structure for a government-run school.

Justice V Kameswar Rao was told by Delhi government that construction of a permanent structure for the school in Bhati Mines cannot be done without the forest department’s nod as it was located within the notified forest land around Asola-bhati wildlife sanctuary.

The court was informed that the education department had sent a com- munication on October 10 last year to the Secretary of forest department on the issue but had not received any response yet.

“If that be so, a reminder shall be sent to the Secretary, Forest and Wild Life seeking action taken report on the communication dated October 10, 2016. Suffice to state the communication dated October 10, 2016, should have been responded by the Secretary, Forest and Wild Life as the said communication refers to the proceedings pending in this court,” the court noted in its order. “It is expected that Secretary, Forest and Wild Life shall respond to the reminder of the Education Department within two weeks on receiving the reminder. The response so received shall be placed on record within one week thereafter.

If no response is given, Secretary, Forest and Wild Life shall be present in the court on the next date of hearing,” the court said and posted the matter for hearing on March 15.

The court was hearing a petition contending that the senior secondary school in Bhati Mines had only a temporary roof and lacked basic infrastructure.

The petitioner, Bazi Ram, said the class rooms were of temporary pre-fabricated material with tin roof and there was lack of furniture for students to sit and study.