‘Restore parking before reopening or face action’: Chandigarh schools get final warning

The Chandigarh Administration on Tuesday put private schools on final notice to restore sanctioned parking areas before they reopen after summer vacations — or face strict punitive action.

Speaking to The Tribune, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Nishant Kumar Yadav, who is also the Estate Officer, revealed that several schools had gone so far as to convert their designated parking lots into swimming pools, guard rooms and playgrounds in brazen violation of approved building plans.

Chairing a follow-up meeting with representatives of private school managements — nearly five weeks after issuing a one-month compliance notice on April 28 — Yadav made clear that the administration had not only tracked the violations but had mapped them school by school.

“We have observed that many schools have serious violations in their parking areas. They have converted them into playgrounds, swimming pools, rooms, etc. We have asked schools to rectify these violations on their own. After that, we will start enforcement,” Yadav said.

For the first time, the administration presented a site-plan-level comparison of sanctioned layouts against actual ground conditions at certain leading city schools, which were found to have converted their sanctioned parking areas into playgrounds, tennis courts and football grounds.

The administration’s survey report laid out a chain of consequences: sanctioned parking removed, no internal vehicle holding area left, parents forced to stop on the road, children boarding and de-boarding on public roads and increased accident risk.

‘Ensure boarding, de-boarding within school premises’

All private schools were directed to ensure that boarding and de-boarding of students takes place strictly within school premises, under the supervision of trained staff. Schools with internal parking must maintain a holding area inside, explore staggered pick-up and drop-off timings, and maintain separate entry and exit points for vehicle circulation.

Under the Safe Transportation Policy for Students (STRAPS), schools are additionally required to maintain one-way traffic movement during opening and closing hours to ensure children are not forced to cross roads.

The DC also cautioned that any unauthorised construction or deviation from sanctioned building plans would attract legal action under applicable laws.

Estate Office to verify restoration after summer break

The summer vacation window has been treated as a rectification period.

Schools have been instructed to acknowledge the directions issued during the meeting and use the break to restore order. The Estate Office will verify adherence to sanctioned plans after reopening, and any non-compliance will invite action without further notice.

The April 28 notice had covered all 83 private unaided schools in Chandigarh — 20 minorities and 63 non-minorities — all of which hold government land allotted at concessional rates under the Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation) Act, 1952, with lease conditions mandating 15 per cent EWS seat reservations, compliance with which also remains under the administration’s scanner.