Sanctioning of junior colleges: HC gives state clean chit

NAGPUR: The hurdles for new schools and junior colleges were cleared on Tuesday with Bombay high court's Nagpur bench disposing of the petition challenging procedure adopted while clearing proposals of 20,672 new schools in Maharashtra.

A division bench of justices comprising Dilip Sinha and A P Bhangale disposed the petition after giving certain directions to the state government while granting permission to the new schools.

The bench while observing that the petitioner — Maharashtra Rajya Shikshan Sanstha Mahmandal — had failed to bring to record specific discrepancies in allotment of new schools has directed the education department to cancel permission to any of the new schools or junior colleges if found dearth in criterias like proper infrastructure and facilities.

The court also rejected the petitioner's prayer for quashing the old methodology for clearing proposals for new schools and proper inspections and evaluation before permitting new applications.

On Monday, the petitioner had filed an affidavit taking objection on 56 new colleges sanctioned by the state government for Nagpur district saying that these colleges were given permission without verification of ground realities.

The petitioner had made directors of primary, secondary and higher secondary education, deputy director of education in Nagpur and education officers of primary and secondary education as respondents in the case.

Earlier, while citing RTI Act, counsel for petitioner Bhanudas Kulkarni alleged llarge scale irregularities while clearing the proposals by education officers who've forwarded them without proper inspection.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Nagpur/Sanctioning_of_junior_colleges_HC_gives_state_clean_chit/articleshow/3266881.cms