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Allahabad HC Raises Alarm Over 527 UP School Bus Drivers with Adverse 'Mission Bharosa' Reports
The on , expressed serious concern over school children's safety in Uttar Pradesh after police verification revealed that 527 out of 2,370 school vehicle drivers had adverse reports under the 'Mission Bharosa' initiative. A of Justice Alok Mathur and Justice Brij Raj Singh also entertained suggestions from the Bar that school vans could be driven by women to ensure better safety for minors.
A Grim Report Card: 527 Drivers with Adverse Records
The court was hearing a
concerning the structural and non-structural safety of educational institutions. During the proceedings, the
's data came under scrutiny. The court observed,
"The
, it seems that has collected data and from the Police verification it has been found that 527 drivers out of total 2370, school vehicle drivers have been found having adverse report under 'Mission Bharosa'. It is again serious issue which directly effects safety of minor children."
The Additional Advocate General assured the court that the suggestion regarding female school van drivers would be considered and instructions sought from the concerned authorities.
Non-Structural Dangers: High Tension Lines Over Schools
The court also addressed a pressing non-structural hazard. The brought to light that approximately 4,000 schools in Uttar Pradesh have high tension electricity lines passing over them, citing a study published in Hindustan Times on , and reported incidents of such lines falling on school premises. The court directed the of through its Managing Director as a respondent to look into this issue.
Structural Collapses and Urgent Need for Action
Referring to media reports of the collapse of Samri Primary School in Jaunpur (which was fortunately closed) and the tragic death of an eight-year-old boy crushed under a collapsing iron gate at a school run by the
in Lucknow, the court remarked,
"Mention of the aforesaid facts is only to show that the task at hand is very important and urgent and accordingly we expect the State and agencies to act in a manner so that greatest efforts can be made to make the educational institutions a safe place for our children."
Verification of Inspection Staff Modified
The court also modified its earlier order regarding the verification of personnel tasked with inspecting school safety. The Additional Advocate General argued that requiring the State to verify the credentials of the approximately 2,000 inspection staff would delay the process. The court accepted this and directed the successful bidder to forthwith transmit all data of the inspection staff to the State Government, which will undertake verification in due course. The court clarified that
"the inspection of the schools to be undertaken will not be the subject matter of verification of credentials of the inspection staff."
Traffic Management and CCTV Installation
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Lucknow submitted a preliminary report on deployment of Marshalls at schools, rating seven as good, five average, and five poor. The court also noted progress on installation of CCTV cameras at school entry gates to manage traffic in real time. The number of cameras required and estimated cost are to be presented on the next hearing.
Next Steps
The court has listed the matter for further hearing on , expecting concrete responses from the power corporation, transport authorities, and the State on the various safety measures discussed.
