Bombay HC Angry At Dhananjay Munde For Closing Deaf School
Bombay HC judge rebuked Minister Dhanajay Munde for shutting down a deaf school.
In Solapur’s Majrewadi there was a school for the deaf named as Shri Gurudev School for Deaf and Mutes. The school was established by Jai Bhawani Sansthan. The Trust had obtained a registration certificate on 29th May 29 1999 under the Disabilities Act,1995. The school then started in October 2003. It was a residential school with an intake of 50 students.
On 4th October 2019, an Assistant Commissioner of Disabilities unexpectedly visited the school after 8 pm for inspection. On 10th June 2020 the Commissioner of Disabilities cancelled the registration of the school without giving any reason and without allowing the Trust to put across its points. The commissioner directed that no new admissions be conducted by the school for 2020-21 and the students be transferred to other nearby recognised institutions. The trust, however, appealed before Mahrashtra’s Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde on 7th July 2020. He heard the appeal online and thereafter his decision remained unclear. On 27th December, 2021, the district social welfare officer, zilla parishad, wrote to the commissioner asking for the school to be blacklisted. In January 2022, the trust challenged the commissioner’s order in Mumbai HC and requested to stay the order. The school’s petition said action was being taken against it to help local NCP leader Umesh Patil “who is eagerly interested to grab the school by transferring it to his trust.” The petition said it was not informed about Munde’s decision. Observing that students would have to be relocated from one school to another school if the school was shut down.
Justice Milind Jadhav asked who took the decision to cancel its registration. Government advocate Prakash Pujari replied that the “final order was of the honourable minister.” Justice Jadhav remarked, “Only a minister can do such things.” Justice Jadhav said Munde is the social justice minister. “See the subject matter of the case! What was the motive behind closing the school? Is it social justice?” The judge shouted at the minister by stating that “instead of thanking this school for doing a great job it lost its registration. The judge looked at photographs of the institution that were presented and said they were contrary to the inspection report that cites 19 issues with the school. In his order, HC Justice Milind Jadhav said, “Prima facie a proper school is at present functioning from the current premises. He gave the state government 6 weeks to reply and at the same time gave a stay order on Munde’s decision.
