Srinagar: With government seeking four more weeks to carry amendments in Jammu & Kashmir School Education Rules 2010, the J&K high court said that “this should have been done.”
The proposed amendment to the School Education Rules 2010 continues to hang fire for quite some time now. In June this year, the court had granted three months to the state government to carry out the amendments.
During the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation, senior Additional Advocate General B A Dar submitted before a bench headed by Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed that the process of amendment may take about four weeks.
“In other words, by the next date of hearing (13 December 2017), this should have been done,” said the division bench also comprising Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey.
In December last year, the High Court asked Commissioner Secretary Education to file an affidavit indicating the proposed modification in the rules of 2010 and administrative orders that are required to be passed.
The direction was passed by the court following perusal of the government’s status report, indicating that a Committee headed by Director School Education has recommended some modifications to be incorporated in the J&K Education Department rules 2010 notified through SRO-123 on 18 March 2010.
The court was hearing the PIL, essentially seeking proper functioning of the Elementary Training Colleges (ETT) in the state. Senior AAG B A Dar also handed over a latest status report to the court which indicates that the charge sheets for sessions 2003-05, 2004-06, 2005-07, 2006-08, 2007-09 and 2008-10 have already been produced before the Special Judge, Anti-Corruption,
Jammu. In so far as the session 2009-11 is concerned, the report indicated that the investigation has been completed and the charge sheet has been produced in the anti-corruption court on August 21 against 15 accused persons.
In so far as session 2011-13 was concerned, the report said the investigation was going on.
“The relevant records have been seized by the Investigating Officer,” it said. The report suggested that more than 55 ETT institutes were established during the session. “The record
collected so far is under scrutiny and after completion of the examination of documents, the final view in the matter would be taken,” the senior AAG said and assured the court that investigation in so far as session 2011-13 shall also be expedited.
“Before the next date of hearing, Dar shall also give an updated status report in respect of the investigations. In addition, he shall file an updated chart indicating the institutions which have been closed and also those institutions which are being permitted,” the court said and posted the PIL for further consideration on December 13.