HC concerned over DDA’s conduct of allowing auction of Raisina Bengali School

The Delhi High Court Wednesday expressed concern over DDA’s conduct of granting permission to society to mortgage South Delhi’s Raisina Bengali School and asked how the land-owning agency could do this as it was not a commercial and the land was given for a social cause.

The high court said the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has to be equally concerned with the fact that the working of the school itself would get disrupted which would put the future of students studying in the school in jeopardy.

It directed the DDA to reconsider its policy in this regard and take corrective measures.

“How are you granting permission to schools to mortgage school property? What do you mean by conditional permission? The society (which manages the school) is going to swindle the amount after realising. How can you even do this? This is not a commercial property, this is given for a social cause. If the management wants to monetise the assets, they take the money and run away, and everything -- the school and children are left high and dry. How can this be?,” a bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Sachin Dutta said.

The court was hearing a PIL by NGO Justice For All against the auction of Raisina Bengali School in Chittaranjan Park here built on public land as it failed to pay off a loan of about Rs eight crore, saying it will affect around 900 students, teachers, and other staff members.

The high court had earlier issued notice and sought the response of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Delhi government, Delhi Police’s Economic Offence Wing, and others on the petition filed through advocates Khagesh B Jha and Shikha Sharma Bagga.

On Wednesday, the bench said it has not come across cases where school plots have been leased out and questioned the DDA for granting such permission.

Delhi government standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi submitted that the government has decided to take over the school which in any event was an aided school and it has negotiated with the financial institution.

He said it is agreed in principle that in case the Delhi government makes a lump sum payment of the dues of the society, which was running the school, to the financial institution, it shall grant a 25 per cent rebate to the State.

He added that the government will ensure the functioning of the school is not hampered on account of the action initiated by the financial institution and added that the students of the school have initiated proceedings alleging financial irregularities by the society.

Tripathi said the government has already taken steps for audit of accounts of the society based thereon further action will be initiated.

The court said it was of the view that the primary grievance raised by the petitioner stands addressed and disposed of the petition and asked the government to act on the representation within two months.

“Before parting with this case, we may express our concern on the conduct of the DDA in granting permission to the society to mortgage the school plot which is a leasehold plot allotted only for the purpose of running a school on no profit no loss basis,” the bench said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)