The Allahabad High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of the lack of a proper road leading to a school in Village Chandupur, Hamirpur, after a newspaper report highlighted the difficulties faced by schoolchildren.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra passed the order on August 14, 2026.
Background of the Case
The Court took note of a report published in Dainik Jagran on August 12, 2026. According to the report, several schoolchildren, accompanied by their parents, had approached the District Magistrate's office in Hamirpur to raise concerns over the absence of a proper road to their school.
The Court noted that the children had walked around 5 kilometres during the protest, which reflected the difficulties they were facing.
The newspaper report also stated that the District Collector had indicated that construction of the road was the responsibility of the Public Works Department (PWD). The Executive Engineer, PWD, reportedly acknowledged that around 1.5 kilometres of the road was in poor condition.
The work was stated to be pending due to the absence of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Forest Department. A proposal of approximately Rs 1.81 crore had also been prepared, with construction expected to begin after receipt of the budget.
Court's Observation
The Bench expressed concern over the situation, observing that school-going children in a village should not have to approach the District Collector to seek a basic road facility when the responsibility lies with the State.
The Court remarked that such a situation “cannot be countenanced” and, in view of the circumstances reported, decided to take suo motu cognizance - meaning the Court initiated proceedings on its own after noticing the issue.
Court's Decision
The Court directed its office to register the matter as a Civil Writ (PIL) titled “In Re: Road to School, Hamirpur Vs. State of U.P. and others.”
Notice was issued to the State of Uttar Pradesh and concerned officials, including the District Magistrate, Hamirpur, senior officials of the Public Works Department, the Executive Engineer, PWD Hamirpur, and the Principal Secretary of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department.
The State's counsel were directed to respond to the situation and inform the Court about the steps being taken to address it without further delay.
The matter has been listed again for August 24, 2026.
