New Delhi: The city government on Wednesday told Delhi High Court that private unaided schools built on public land cannot express unwilling to comply with terms and conditions agreed upon during land allotment.

An affidavit filed by the Delhi government said: "The societies or schools have admittedly sought and accepted allotment of huge tracts of land in prime areas of the National Capital Territory being fully cognisant of terms and conditions on which the said allotment is premised, enjoyed the benefit of the said allotment for several decades without demur.

"It cannot now be lawfully contended by them (private unaided schools) at this stage that they are unwilling to comply with the terms thereof... the terms of allotment are enforceable against societies or schools till such time as they function out of the land demised to them."

The affidavit was filed following pleas that challenged the AAP government's notification that made 298 private schools built on Delhi Development Authority land to accept admission forms based only on neighbourhood or distance criteria.-Agency