The Madras High Court Bench here on Monday directed Virudhunagar Collector to ensure that a compound wall was constructed around Government Adi Dravidar Welfare High School at Idaiyankulam village in Srivilliputtur Taluk of Virudhunagar district within three months in order to prevent easy access to anti-social elements.
A Division Bench of Justices A. Selvam and P. Kalaiyarasan also directed the Superintendent of Police to initiate action against those who were allegedly involved in second sale of Indian Made Foreign Liquor from thatched sheds abutting the school campus and people who virtually convert the school premises into a bar by consuming alcohol during night hours. The orders were passed on a public interest litigation petition filed by T. Athisayam, president of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of the school. The petitioner’s counsel R. Gandhi contended that the glass bottles thrown inside the campus by the anti-social elements causes grave danger to the children as well as teachers of the school.
In his affidavit, the petitioner pointed out that the school was established in 1953 to provide free education to Dalit students and uplift their social status. It was upgraded as a middle school in 1998 and as a high school in 2010 following several representations made by the villagers to the district administration as well as school education authorities.
“Though the school was established in 1953 and upgraded in 2010, no basic facilities are provided to the school by the authorities. In fact, the lights, fans and other basic infrastructural facilities were provided by the public. The library was also established and functioning now out of the aid given by some good hearted people voluntarily,” he claimed.
Alleging that children hesitate to get admitted in the school due to lack of sufficient infrastructure, the drop out rate of the school had increased due to unsavoury activities of the anti-social elements on the campus due to the absence of a compound wall. He also claimed that the students were forced to clean the garbage and filth left behind by those elements.
