The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday, dissatisfied with the 'lack of funds' excuse given by the State for the delay in the construction of toilets in the government schools, has asked it to arrange it from anywhere and get the work done in time.
The court also asked the Secretaries of Human Resource Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation departments to remain present personally in the court during the next hearing with a status report.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice R Banumathi and Justice S Chandrashekher was hearing a PIl initiated after it took suo-motto cognizance on the basis of reports published in various newspapers.
"The court has given a deadline till December 31, 2014 for those projects which are on board and do not require allocation of funds from the Centre. While for those programmes which need the Centre's approval for fund allocation, the State has been given time till March 31, 2015," said special amicus curie in the case Anubha Rawat Chaudhary.
The court has asked the State to arrange funds for the construction work from anywhere else and get the construction work completed on time, said Chaudhary. The court had summoned secretaries of Human Resource Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation departments to appear personally before the court. HRD Secretary
K Vidyasagar was present today in the court while Secretary of Drinking Water and Sanitation failed to appear as he was in Delhi. It was revealed through a report prepared by the UNICEF about the pathetic conditions of the girl's schools in Jharkhand — most of the girl's schools did not have toilets in them and those having them did not have the basic facilities like water and privacy.