Delhi High Court Pulls Up Govt for Delay in Opening Kirari School, Sets July 15 Deadline

   The Delhi High Court has strongly criticised the Delhi government and its agencies for failing to operationalise a newly built government school in Northwest Delhi’s Kirari, despite the building being ready and staff already appointed. The court has ordered that all deficiencies be addressed and the school made functional by July 15, stressing that public funds had been wasted as the infrastructure remains unused.
  
   In its order dated May 21 (uploaded Saturday), a division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela noted that the delay stems from a lack of coordination among departments and an apparent lack of commitment to starting the school. The bench stated, “Such an approach cannot be appreciated… infrastructure which has been created is yet to be utilised.”

   The school in Prem Nagar 3, Kirari, was inaugurated in January 2025 by the previous AAP government, yet remains non-functional over a year later. The matter was revisited after a fresh application was filed by Hamara Prayas Samajik Utthan, an NGO that originally filed a petition in 2019 highlighting the lack of a government school within a 3-4 km radius of the area. The Delhi High Court had previously disposed of the case after instructing the DDA to allot land for the school. The land was allotted, and construction completed — but the school never opened.

   The court reviewed inspection reports from meetings held in April and May 2025, which revealed several critical shortcomings:

   No electricity connection, as the budget is yet to be sanctioned by the Directorate of Education.

- Inadequate septic tank capacity for the expected 4,000 students
- Lack of sewage connection or any waste disposal system
- Incomplete science and vocational labs without plumbing or fittings
- Safety hazards such as open balconies, gaps in staircases, and unsecured rooftop gates
- Insufficient furniture, particularly for the primary wing
- No approach road, making it physically inaccessible for students and staff

   Despite these issues being known for months, authorities failed to take any concrete action. The Public Works Department (PWD) informed the court that the electricity demand note had been generated by TPDDL, but the required budget was pending with the education department. Meanwhile, the DDA had not started work on the access road, despite multiple reminders.

   The court has now directed the matter to be placed before the Secretary of the Department of Education, who must personally ensure that all issues are resolved by July 15. The DDA has been ordered to begin construction of the access road immediately.

   To avoid the loss of another academic year, the bench also instructed the Education Department to start the admission process without delay and widely publicise the opportunity for students in the area. The Secretary of Education and the DDA Vice-Chairperson have been directed to submit progress affidavits by the next hearing on July 23.

   The court stressed that a school meant to serve 4,000 children should have been a priority and said, “This court cannot allow such a school to remain non-functional any longer.”