HC asks government to state the policy on freeship to poor in school

New Delhi, Apr 18 (UNI) The Delhi High Court today asked the government to state the policy on the provision of providing free education to 20 per cent of poor by the schools established on the land allotted at a concessional rate.

While hearing a PIL on freeship to poor students, a division bench headed by Justice T S Thakur asked what is the validity of the show-cause notices issued to the schools by the Directorate of Education(DOE), DDA; and whether legal action could be initiated against the defaulting schools or not? the court posed the question to the counsel representing the government departments.

The DDA, land owning agency, has categoricaly mentioned about the freeship in the allottment letter and lease deed before handing over the possession of the land, said DDA counsel Vinay Sabharwal.

The court asked counsel Ashok Agrawal, the petitioner of the PIL, and the respondents to answer, ''Whether the condition of granting freeship is obligatory and enforceable?'' The court asked the government counsel to clarify whether the notification by the Delhi Lt Governor on Jaunary 25, 2007 for enforcing the 20 per cent freeship was valid or not? Whether there was any deriliction of duty in the parts of the officials of the DOE and DDA for not implementing the clause in the past? the court asked.

While indicating at hearing the matter everyday, the court said after the submission from both parties on these points, the court would arrive at a decision.

Counsel Avinash Ahalwat appearing for the directorate submitted that the court-appointed committee had recommended all the 361 public schools, built on subsidised public land, should reserve 20 per cent of their total seats for free education to their poor students.

On January 31, some public schools had filed a petition challenging the Delhi government's notification for free education to 20 percents of students in schools built on subsidized land, contending that the notification could not be implemented in its present form.

UNI