1 - Smt. Gauri Dhruw W/o Shri Ram Dhruw Aged About 55 Years Working v. 1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through The Secretary Department Of School Education Mantralaya Mahanadi
Case Details
1 2025:CGHC:36071 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR WPS No. 6846 of 2025 1 - Smt. Gauri Dhruw W/o Shri Ram Dhruw Aged About 55 Years Working As Head Master Govt. Primary School Koliha Block / District - Balodabazar - Bhatapara (C.G.) ... Petitioner(s) versus 1 - State Of Chhattisgarh Through The Secretary Department Of School Education Mantralaya Mahanadi Bhawan Atal Nagar Nawa Raipur District - Raipur (C.G.) 2 – Director Directorate Of Public Instruction Indrawati Bhawan Atal Nagar Naya Raipur District - Raipur (C.G.) 3 - Collector District- Balodabazar -Bhatapara, District - Balodabazar- Bhatapara (C.G.) 4 - District Education Officer Balodabazar- Bhatapara (C.G.) 5 - Sub Divisional Officer (R) Balodabazar District - Balodabazar- Bhatapara (C.G.) 6 - Block Education Officer Balodabazar -Bhatapara District - Balodabazar- Bhatapara (C.G.) ---- Respondent(s) (Cause title taken from Case Information System) For Petitioner(s)
Legal Reasoning
: Mr. Lekhram Dhruw, Advocate For Respondent(s)/State : Mr. S.P. Kale, Additional A.G. VEDPRAKASH DEWANGAN Digitally signed by VEDPRAKASH DEWANGAN Date: 2025.07.25 19:13:27 +0530 2 Hon'ble Shri Justice R avindra Kumar Agrawal 02/07/2025 Order on Board 1. The petitioner has filed the present writ petition challenging the rationalization of the Govt. Primary School, Koliha, Block Baloda Bazar from the merger of Govt. Middle School, Koliha and prayed the
Decision
following reliefs in the writ petition:- “10.1 That, this Hon'ble Court may kindly be pleased to call for the entire records. 10.2 That, this Hon'ble Court may kindly be pleased to direct the respondent authority remove the list of rationalized school listed in the list of school no. 47 (Annexure P/1). 10.3 That, this Hon'ble Court may kindly be pleased to direct the respondent authority the primary school Koliha should be kept as it was functioning earlier, in the interest of justice. 10.4 That, this Hon'ble Court may kindly be pleased to grant any other relief/relief's in favour of the petitioners, which the Hon'ble Court deemed fit & just in the facts and circumstances of the case, including awarding of the costs to the petitioner.” 2. Learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that, the petitioner is a Headmistress at Govt. Primary School, Koliha, Block Baloda Bazar. Under the Rationalization Instructions dated 02.08.2024, the Primary School, Koliha is proposed for merger in Middle School, Koliha, which is against the Rationalization Instructions as there are sufficient number of students in Primary School, Koliha. The school buildings of Primary School and Middle School are situated in different premises 3 and their boundaries are also different. The Primary School, Koliha having strength of 170 students, yet the same has been considered for rationalization and merger. The Gram Panchayat, Koliha have also passed a resolution to stop merger of both the schools and a representation has also been made on 31.05.2025, 02.06.2025 and 10.06.2025 to the authorities concerned, but the same has not been considered till date, therefore, the Primary School, Koliha may be kept away from merger in Middle School, Koliha under the Rationalization Instructions dated 02.08.2024. 3. On the other hand, learned counsel appearing for the State, on instructions, would submit that the petitioner is working as Headmistress at Primary School, Koliha. She is having no locus to challenge the merger of the school, as it is the consideration of the State under the Rationalization Instructions and in strict compliance thereof, the Primary School is proposed for merger in the Middle School, Koliha. Both the school campuses are adjoining. Clause 1-A and 1-B provided for merger of the schools under the rationalization and it is for the authorities concerned to decide the requirement of merger of the school under the surrounding circumstances, therefore, there is no ground available to the petitioner challenge the merger of the school, as there is no prejudice caused to the petitioner, nor her service benefits are prejudiced, therefore, the writ petition is liable to be dismissed. 4. I have heard learned counsel for parties and perused the material 4 annexed with the petition. 5. The petitioner, who is a Headmistress and is posted at Primary School, Koliha is challenging the merger of the Primary School, Koliha with the Middle School, Koliha. It is relevant to quote here the provisions of merger of the schools under the Rationalization Instructions dated 02.08.2024, which reads as under:- “एक - शालाओं का युሹኌ(cid:12)यु(cid:12)करण ्ቚदेश में लगभग बड़ी संख्या में ሹኌ(cid:27)भिभ्ቐ ሹኌ(cid:27)्ቕालयों का संचालन एक ही परिरसर में हो रहा है। एक ही परिरसर में संचालिलत ሹኌनम्न ्ቚकार के ሹኌ(cid:27)्ቕालयों का युሹኌ(cid:12)यु(cid:12)करण ब्ሴों की शैቌኌ.क गुण(cid:27)्ቈा की दृሹኌ1 से ሹኌकया जाना हैं- A. एक ही परिरसर में संचालिलत शालाओं का युሹኌ(cid:12)यु(cid:12)करणः - 01. एक ही परिरसर में संचालिलत दो या दो से अቌኌ6क ्ቚाथሹኌमक ሹኌ(cid:27)्ቕालयों का युሹኌ(cid:12)यु(cid:12)करण। 02. एक ही परिरसर में संचालिलत दो या दो से अቌኌ6क पू(cid:27)9 माध्यሹኌमक ሹኌ(cid:27)्ቕालयों का युሹኌ(cid:12)यु(cid:12)करण। 03. एक ही परिरसर में संचालिलत ्ቚाथሹኌमक, पू(cid:27)9 माध्यሹኌमक ሹኌ(cid:27)्ቕालयों का युሹኌ(cid:12)यु(cid:12)करण। 04. एक ही परिरसर में संचालिलत पू(cid:27)9 माध्यሹኌमक ए(cid:27)ं हाईस्कू ल ሹኌ(cid:27)्ቕालयों का युሹኌ(cid:12)यु(cid:12)करण। 05. एक ही परिरसर में संचालिलत ्ቚाथሹኌमक, पू(cid:27)9 माध्यሹኌमक ए(cid:27)ं हाईस्कू ल का युሹኌ(cid:12)यु(cid:12)करण। 06. एक ही परिरसर में संचालिलत ्ቚाथሹኌमक, पू(cid:27)9 माध्यሹኌमक, हाईस्कू ल ए(cid:27)ं हायर सेके ण्डरी ሹኌ(cid:27)्ቕालयों का युሹኌ(cid:12)यु(cid:12)करण। 07. एक ही परिरसर में संचालिलत हाईस्कू ल ए(cid:27)ं हायर सेके ण्डरी ሹኌ(cid:27)्ቕालयों का मुሹኌ(cid:12)यु(cid:12)करण। 5 B. कम दज9 संख्या (cid:27)ाले शालाओं का युሹኌ(cid:12)यु(cid:12)करण :- 10 से कम दज9 संख्या (cid:27)ाली ्ቚाथሹኌमक/ पू(cid:27)9 माध्यሹኌमक शालाओं का ሹኌनकटस्थ शालाओं में समायोजन ሹኌकया जायेगा। नक्सल ्ቚभाሹኌ(cid:27)त .े्ቔ ए(cid:27)ं दूरस्थ (cid:27)नांचल के ሹኌ(cid:27)्ቕालयों के लिलये युሹኌ(cid:12)यु(cid:12)करण हेतु ሹኌन6ा9रिरत मापदण्ड के बा(cid:27)जूद जिजला सሹኌमቌኌत के अध्य. कलेक्टर का यह ሹኌ(cid:27)(cid:27)ेकाቌኌ6कार होगा ሹኌक (cid:27)े ऐसे ሹኌ(cid:27)्ቕालयों का स्थानीय परिरቝኌस्थቌኌतयों को ध्यान में रखते हुये युሹኌ(cid:12)यु(cid:12)करण पर ሹኌ(cid:27)चार कार सके गें। एक ही स्तर के दो ሹኌ(cid:27)्ቕालय जिजनके बीच की दूरी कम हो यथा (cid:27)ण9 संख्या भी कम हो, उनका समायोजन ሹኌकया जायेगा। ऐसी शालाओं की परस्पर दूरी शहरी .े्ቔ में 500 मीटर तथा दज9 संख्या 30 से कम ए(cid:27)ं ्ቇामीण .े्ቔ में दूरी 01 ሹኌकलोमीटर से कम तथा दज9 संख्या 10 से कम हो, का युሹኌ(cid:12)यु(cid:12)करण ሹኌकया जाएगा।” 6. The petitioner who is a Headmistress in the Primary School, has no right to object in the merger of the schools, as it was the discretion of the authorities concerned under the surrounding circumstances and relevant and applicable rules/notifications. When the authorities have taken a decision for merger of the Primary School, Koliha into Middle School, Koliha on the recommendation made by the Director, Public Instructions, it cannot be said that it is arbitrary or against any provisions of the Rationalization Instructions. The petitioner could not demonstrate as to how her service benefits would be affected from the said merger. Total 10463 schools in the State are considered for Rationalization looking to the requirement of Teachers and number of students at various places. I do not find any palpable infirmity in the rationalization of the school and merger of the Primary School, Koliha into Middle School, Koliha. Further, the petitioner is not claiming the violation of her fundamental rights, but she is challenging the merger of the school, and therefore, she is not entitled for any relief in the 6 present writ petition. 7. In view of the facts and circumstances of the case, no case for interference is made out in the present writ petition. Accordingly, the writ petition is dismissed. ved Sd/- (Ravindra Kumar Agrawal) Judge