The Madras High Court has imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 each on the officials of the Education department in Tindivanam in Villupuram district. Justice G Jayachandran imposed the cost on the CEO, DEO and DEEO of the area, as also the correspondent of SKD Nursery and Primary School in Sozhiyasorkulam village in Tindivanam. The charge against them was that they had not constituted the school-level transport panel as per the Rules of TN Motor Vehicles Act.

“The Joint Director, Elementary Education, has chosen to file a superficial counter and bunch of papers, calling it a report. Be it as it may, the government advocate, appearing for Education department, has also not properly been instructed by the authorities. There is no material to show whether any action was taken against the Institution to de-recognize it or to ensure safety measures for the students under the TN Motor Vehicle (Regulation Control of School buses) Special Rules,” the judge said.

All this was based on a petition filed by Anjalidevi of Velliyanur, mother of Yuvashree, who died in a motor accident after de-boarding the school bus. She prayed for a direction to the district educational authorities to cancel the certificate of registration given to the school bus and direct the school to pay a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for having committed a gross illegality in not adopting safety measures while plying the school bus.

The petitioner also sought for cancellation of the recognition given to the school for non-constitution of committee as contemplated under rule 10 of the TN Motor Vehicles Special rules, 2012