LUCKNOW, Aug. 22 -- The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday informed the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court that primary schools with more than 50 students and located over one kilometre apart will not be merged. The assurance came during the hearing of special appeals before the division bench of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Jaspreet Singh. The court directed the state to place on record the process of implementing the decision along with the related order and fixed September 1 as the next date of hearing. The bench also extended till September 1 its earlier interim order of July 24 directing maintenance of the status quo on the merger or pairing of primary schools in Sitapur. Advocate Gaurav Mehrotra, appearing for the petitioners, said the order ensures no merger takes place in the district until further directions. Additional Advocate General Anuj Kudesia submitted that the government's order has already been sent to all Basic Shiksha Adhikaris (BSAs) across the state. The bench, however, clarified that the interim order will not affect the overall policy decision of the state government. The special appeals were filed by two groups of children from Sitapur, one by five students and the other by 17 students, through their parents, against the July 7 decision of a single judge bench upholding the merger policy. On July 7, Justice Pankaj Bhatia had dismissed petitions filed on behalf of 51 children of primary and upper primary schools in Sitapur challenging the state's June 16 order on school mergers. During earlier hearings, the court noted irregularities in documents related to the merger process submitted by the state. In view of this, the court had ordered status quo in Sitapur till August 21, which has now been extended....