Does the executive think that the judiciary is a “little kid” who can be calmed down with a lollipop, the Bombay High Court exclaimed while pulling up the Maharashtra government for its failure to provide clean toilets in government schools. A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice M S Karnik observed that the state government had not taken adequate steps for proper and effective management of cleanliness in toilets of government-run schools across the state.
The court was hearing a petition filed by law students Nikita Gore and Vaishnavi Gholave raising concerns over the Central and state governments’ failure to implement effective menstrual hygiene management, inconveniencing women and particularly adolescent girls. The petition also pointed out the issue of unclean and unhygienic washrooms and toilets for girls in government schools.
Gore conducted a survey in schools across 16 towns of seven districts in Maharashtra. Additional government pleader Bhupesh Samant on Monday told the bench that action has been taken against seven such schools and submitted a document to the bench to show the action taken.
The bench then noted that the document was dated July 24, 2022. “What does the executive think of us [judiciary]? Are we like little kids that you can give lollipop and we will calm down?” Chief Justice Datta said.
The bench further noted that when action is taken, toilets will be maintained for a month, but later things will go back to the way there were. The court then directed the Maharashtra District Legal Services Authority (MDLSA) to supervise and conduct surprise checks in such schools.
“We direct all DLSAs to carry out surprise inspections in 15 such schools in each district falling within the principal seat and place their report before us,” the court directed and posted the plea for further hearing after August 15.
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