HC seeks report on female attendants in school buses in Punjab, Haryana

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday directed Punjab and Haryana to apprise the court within three months whether provisions made for female attendants in vehicles ferrying girls in the two states are being followed or not.

The direction was issued by the special division bench of justice Surya Kant and justice Ajay Tewari in a matter in which the court is overseeing compliance of traffic-related issues in both the states and Union territory (UT) of Chandigarh regarding implementation of policies framed for schoolchildren’s transportation.

As the hearing began, the HC asked the counsels whether there were provisions for employing female attendants. It also wondered if such provisions were made, how a schoolchild came under the wheels of a school bus earlier this week in Panchkula.

The court was apprised by Punjab and Haryana that provisions had been made in the schemes by respective states, whereby a female attendant is mandatory in every school bus ferrying girls. For a school bus ferrying boys, the schools can employ a male attendant, Punjab additional advocate general Rajinder Goyal told the court.

The bench noted that though reports on compliance of these policies have been filed by Punjab and Haryana, it is not separately mentioned, whether compliance of this aspect was checked or not by child rights protection commissions.

The court said that it will be the joint responsibility of transport departments and child rights protection commissions of both states to carry out the inspections and ensure that provision of the policies are followed by schools. Special drives be carried out and district-wise report be submitted before the court after three months, the bench ordered.

REPORT SOUGHT ON TRAFFIC CHAOS AT SHAHABAD

The high court also sought a report from the Haryana government on traffic chaos being reported at a religious place on the Delhi-Ambala highway near Shahabad in Kurukshetra. The court also sought details of donations received by the trust of the religious place. It observed that separate arrangements had not been made to park vehicles, leading to accidents and endangering lives of commuters. The receiver of donations is local tehsildar, and the management of the religious place is with the local deputy commissioner. A large number of people visit the religious site every day and vehicles parked on the national highway. Why can’t they build parking lots in the vicinity of the religious place? the bench asked.