Haryana HRC orders structural audit of all govt schools
In Short
The commission observed that given the serious concerns arising from the incident, confining the proceedings only to the school at Garhi Balinda in Ganaur in Sonipat district would not be sufficient
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Haryana HRC orders structural audit of all govt schools
Chandigarh: The Haryana Human Rights Commission has expanded the scope of proceedings initiated suo motu over the death of an 11-year-old student after the arch of the entrance gate of a government primary school in Sonipat collapsed, to examine the structural safety of all state-run schools.
In its October 1 order, the commission directed that a structural safety audit of all government school buildings in the state be conducted and dilapidated, unsafe and hazardous buildings be identified, with timely remedial action ensured.
The commission, comprising Justice Lalit Batra, along with members Kuldeep Jain and Deep Bhatia, observed that in view of the serious concerns arising from the incident, confining the proceedings only to the school at Garhi Balinda in Ganaur in Sonipat district would not be sufficient.
“The commission, having regard to the serious concerns arising out of the present incident, considers it appropriate to enlarge the scope of the present proceedings so as to examine the safety and structural conditions of Government schools across the State of Haryana,” according to the order.
The child was killed after the brick-concrete arch of the main gate of the school collapsed on him in Garhi Bilinda village in August. The commission has directed the state’s director general of secondary education, director of elementary education, and the state project director of Haryana School Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad (HSSPP) to undertake a comprehensive review of the structural safety of all government schools across the state.
The structural safety audit shall specifically identify school buildings or portions thereof which are dilapidated, unsafe or otherwise hazardous. This shall include not only the school buildings but also entrance gates, arches, boundary walls, roofs and other structures that may pose a risk to the safety of students and staff.
The commission has made it clear that merely identifying unsafe buildings and submitting reports would not be sufficient. In such cases, concrete remedial measures, including repair, maintenance, barricading, demolition or reconstruction, must be undertaken. During the hearing in the Garhi Balinda matter, the assistant commissioner of police, Ganaur, informed the commission that the investigation is in progress.
A request has already been made to the Sonipat deputy commissioner to constitute an inquiry committee to inspect the structural condition of the school building and ascertain the reasons for the collapse of the brick-concrete arch of the main entrance gate. According to the report submitted by the block education officer of Ganaur, the school had been inspected even before the incident.
While the officer inspected the school premises on May 19, 2026, a junior engineer conducted a technical inspection on May 22. Thereafter, a repair estimate of Rs 5.68 lakh was prepared on June 1.
