The Supreme Court on Tuesday turned down a petition challenging the shifting of a college building in Chhattisgarh. The court also asked the petitioners whether they wanted to focus on their studies or get involved in “netagiri” (political activity). A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta refused to hear the challenge to an earlier order of the Chhattisgarh High Court, which had already dismissed the plea against relocating the college building. “You are students. Do you want to study or do politics?” the bench asked the lawyer representing the two petitioners, who are students from Adar Nandghat village. The judges also said that this was a decision for the administration and remarked, “As young people, you can cycle or walk to the next village where the college is being moved.”
Students’ plea in high court
In the High Court, the students had asked for a direction to build the college in their village in Bemetara district. They said that a government college had been opened there and, due to the rising number of students, permission was given to construct a proper building in the same village to ensure access to education. However, after a change of leadership in the state, a minister wrote to the authorities to move the location of the college to Amora village, the students claimed.
Relocation of college raises travel issues
It was later decided to shift the college building from Nandghat to Kura, which the petitioners said would increase the travel distance for students without proper transport facilities. They also said the authorities could start construction of the building at any time.
State’s stand and court’s view
The state’s lawyer told the High Court that though the college had first opened in Adar Nandghat, the proposal was later made to move it to Amora. The High Court ruled that such matters are within the powers of the state and its agencies, and it was not for the court to decide which place would be better for the public.
