PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has ordered temporary closure of a school situated at Chimbel till the end of the current academic year as it was operating from premises which are unsafe, illegal, unauthorised and not fire safety compliant.

Hearing a petition filed by the Husn Sahara Muslim Welfare Education Society, the Division Bench comprising Justice Mahesh Sonak and Justice B P Deshpande ordered temporary closure of Jadeed Pre-Primary School, Jadeed Primary School, Jadeed English High School, and Jadeed Urdu High School. The school run by the Anjuman Touhidul Muslameen Education Society has total strength of 475 students.

The Directorate of Education has made arrangements to shift these students studying in these schools to nearby alternate schools by September 25, to ensure that their education is not hampered.

The Court order states that the arrangement of shifting the classes/students is just a stop-gap arrangement in the interest of safety of students till December 31, 2023, which may be extended till April 30, 2024 i.e. till the end of the current academic year.

The management of the school will have to find alternate and permanent solution by then, failing which the Director of Education has been asked to withdraw all the permissions and recognition granted to the school.

Also the Chimbel village panchayat has been asked to take necessary action on the illegal school premises within a month from the date of the order. It was the duty of the village panchayat to prevent the mushrooming of illegal constructions and take action against such illegalities without waiting for complaints. The panchayat assured the Court that it would take action within next four weeks by issuing show cause notice and take it to its logical conclusion expeditiously.

Adv Rohit Bras De Sa argued on behalf of Husn Sahara Muslim Welfare Education Society.