The poor condition of a road in Chandupur village of Hamirpur district, Uttar Pradesh, has drawn the attention of the Allahabad High Court after more than 200 schoolchildren and around 50 guardians were forced to march nearly five kilometres to the Collectorate.
The children were demanding the construction of a proper road connecting their village to the route they use to reach school. The existing nearly 1.5-km stretch is reportedly filled with potholes and becomes muddy and difficult to cross during the monsoon.
Villagers said they had approached the administration several times over the condition of the road, but no concrete action followed. With the problem continuing, the students and their guardians took to the streets to press for construction work.
High Court Questions Government Over Children’s Hardship
The matter reached the Allahabad High Court after a media report highlighted the difficulties faced by the schoolchildren. Taking suo motu cognisance, a bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra expressed serious concern over the situation.
The court observed that children should not be forced to come onto the streets to seek basic infrastructure that falls within the government’s responsibilities.
The court has sought information on the action taken by the authorities for the construction of the road and has issued notices to the Uttar Pradesh government, Hamirpur District Magistrate, Public Works Department and other concerned authorities.
₹1.81 Crore Proposal Pending, Next Hearing on August 24
During the proceedings, the court was informed that a proposal worth around ₹1.81 crore for construction of the road has already been pending for a considerable period. Despite the proposal, work on the road has not yet begun.
The High Court has now asked the concerned authorities to submit their responses and explain the steps being taken to address the issue.
The case will next come up for hearing on August 24, when the court is expected to examine the replies submitted by the government and other departments.
