The Delhi High Court said that safety of children cannot be compromised in any manner, while directing the fire department to inspect a private school, lacking valid fire safety certificate, within two weeks.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru directed the Chief Fire Officer to inspect the premises of the Seth Bhagwan Dass Senior Secondary Public School to ascertain whether it has addressed other shortcomings and to indicate any other measures that are required to be taken, keeping in view the school’s difficulty in widening the staircase in question.
The High Court also directed that the school be given sufficient time to address the issues that may be raised by Chief Fire Officer and to put in place additional measures that may be required.
“Clearly, safety of the children studying at the petitioner school cannot be compromised in any manner. Meanwhile, respondent no 1 [Directorate of Education] shall not take any precipitate steps for de-recognising the petitioner school,” the High Court said.
The court was hearing a plea filed by the school seeking directions to Directorate of Education not to withdraw the recognition granted to the said school.
The school claimed that its building is an old one and that the school is being run from the current premises since 1988. The width of the internal staircase is only 0.95 m.
