95 Ggn schools yet to submit safety compliance reports
GURUGRAM: There are still 95 schools in Gurugram that have not submitted the safety compliance report to the district administration. Earlier the deputy commissioner had warned that action will be initiated against the 135 schools that had failed to provide the report on how they plan to keep students safe in its premises. Legal action can be taken against the management of these schools under section 188 (disobedience of order promulgated by the public servant) of the Indian Penal Code.
After the gruesome incident of murder of 7-year-old Pradyuman, all schools in the district were strictly asked to comply with these orders.
Under this, the management of schools were asked to submit certificates to the district administration. One of the main criteria was the constitution of a school security committee that will include parents as representatives.
The criteria also include compulsory police verification of non-teaching staff and arrangement of separate toilets for these staff.
Moreover, special toilets with ramps must be constructed for physically challenged children, and a female attendant must be assigned in toilets for small children. The administration also lists issuance of fire safety certificate as one of the criteria, as well as to ensure that fire safety equipment is in working condition.
The order also directs schools to install adequate number of CCTV cameras inside the school premises, as well as the school buses. It was also directed school buses must have GPS systems and the mandatory presence of a female attendant. After submitting their report, they can be inspected by the public officials on their safety standards.
If they fail to meet the standards as outlines, their licences can be cancelled by the deputy commissioner.
The guidelines have become even more important as the Supreme Court also directed all the schools to strengthen its security system. Failure to submit the report has again exposed the safety procedures followed by school in Gurugram. While there were concerns that were expressed over the seriousness of the issue, action was only by the public authorities after the tragic incident on September 8.
The detailed report had found several lapses in Ryan International School, Bhondsi. To ensure the safety of over 1000 children that are studying in the school, the Deputy Commissioner have taken over managing the school for three months. NOIDA: An eight-year-old boy has died after drowning in an open drain along the main road near Naya Gaon area under Noida phase 2, said the police.
According to the police, the deceased has been identified as Shankar, a resident of Naya Gaon.
“On Monday afternoon while passing through the village he accidentally fell into the drain along the main road. The family members of the victim informed police about their kin being absconding from home. We launched a probe into the matter and on Tuesday morning the dead body of the deceased child was found floating on the surface of the drain” said Shahwez Khan, Station house officer, phase-2 police station.
“The body has been sent for the post mortem and a case under IPC section 363 has been registered in phase-2 police station” Khan further said.
Some locals said similar incidents have happened in the past when children and the passersby have fallen in the open drain and such fatalities were reported.
“The drain is long and deep. There are very rare chances for a child of such a small age to come out of the drain on its own if he accidently falls into it. The authority must take needful steps to cover all such drains in the city as they attract several such fatalities,” said Ajay Kumar, a resident of the area.