The matter of discontinuing the electricity connection in a Delhi government-run school by BSES, because of non-payment of electricity bill, has reached the Delhi high court. The matter is likely to be heard on Wednesday. Several students of the school had complained about the matter to Social Jurist advocate Ashok Agarwal, who is fighting many education-related cases.
‘I got a number of complaints from the students about discontinuing electricity supply to the school and how they have been forced to attend classes in the dark and without a fan in this humid weather. After hearing the students’ grievances, I have filed an application in the high court on behalf of the students for immediate restoration of electricity supply in the school,’ advocate Ashok Agarwal said.
BSES had discontinued the electricity supply to the school from 22 August, after it failed to pay the electricity bill exceeding 22 lakhs. The government school runs in two shifts – morning (for girls) and afternoon (for boys) – and has a total of over 9,000 students.
In its application to the high court, Agarwal has said that ‘the present application is inviting attention of this honourable court to the fact that both shifts of the Delhi government-run Zeenat Mahal Senior Secondary School, Jafarabad, east Delhi has been running without electricity since 22 August 2012 because the BSES has disconnected the electricity for non-payment of electricity bill amounting to Rs.22,38,383/-. It is submitted that nearly 9000 girl and boy students are studying in this school. In the absence of the electricity in the school, the students are facing difficulty in studies as the classrooms have become darkrooms. The present humid climate has further added to the woes of the students as in the absence of electricity, fans are not functional.’
The application further states that nearly 9,000 students and school staff is suffering due to the sheer negligence on the part of the school authorities. Agarwal, in his application, has said that ‘BSES is also obliged to protect the right to education of the students. It is submitted that the BSES is equally negligent in the present matter.’
‘I got a number of complaints from the students about discontinuing electricity supply to the school and how they have been forced to attend classes in the dark and without a fan in this humid weather. After hearing the students’ grievances, I have filed an application in the high court on behalf of the students for immediate restoration of electricity supply in the school,’ advocate Ashok Agarwal said.
BSES had discontinued the electricity supply to the school from 22 August, after it failed to pay the electricity bill exceeding 22 lakhs. The government school runs in two shifts – morning (for girls) and afternoon (for boys) – and has a total of over 9,000 students.
In its application to the high court, Agarwal has said that ‘the present application is inviting attention of this honourable court to the fact that both shifts of the Delhi government-run Zeenat Mahal Senior Secondary School, Jafarabad, east Delhi has been running without electricity since 22 August 2012 because the BSES has disconnected the electricity for non-payment of electricity bill amounting to Rs.22,38,383/-. It is submitted that nearly 9000 girl and boy students are studying in this school. In the absence of the electricity in the school, the students are facing difficulty in studies as the classrooms have become darkrooms. The present humid climate has further added to the woes of the students as in the absence of electricity, fans are not functional.’
The application further states that nearly 9,000 students and school staff is suffering due to the sheer negligence on the part of the school authorities. Agarwal, in his application, has said that ‘BSES is also obliged to protect the right to education of the students. It is submitted that the BSES is equally negligent in the present matter.’