Contempt notice issued to Delhi chief secretary, MCD chief

NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court Monday issued notices to Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Commissioner Rakesh Mehra on a contempt petition filed by an NGO over facilities for disabled students in schools.

The petition filed by Social Jurist alleged that the government and the corporation had failed to comply with an court order directing them to appoint at least two teachers for disabled students and to provide necessary teaching aids and reading material in government-run and MCD-run schools within six months.

On Monday, Justice G.S. Sistani asked Mehta and Mehra asked to to file a compliance report within four weeks, failing which they would have to appear in court.

The PIL was filed in 2009 seeking directions to provide trained teachers, including those qualified in sign language and Braille, for students with disabilities like blindness, hearing impairment and mental retardation.

It also sought a barrier free environment in schools for students with disabilities. Special toilets, books, including reading and writing material in Braille, and other equipments needed for the education for the blind students were also demanded.

According to the PIL, thousand of students with disabilities and particularly those suffering from blindness, hearing impairment and mental retardation were studying in the 1,000 Delhi government and 1,800 MCD schools, without trained teachers.

“In the absence of special educators, the children with disabilities who are already in the schools are dropping out and other children with disabilities do not dare to go to school,” said Ashok Agarwal, counsel in the case.

The next date of hearing is Nov 10.