Tamil Nadu - Tirunelveli   

Thatched roofs yet to be removed in some schools

By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau

TIRUNELVELI, JULY 18. While the managements of Matriculation schools and aided schools, functioning in thatched sheds across the State, are removing the structures following the fire at a Kumbakonam school, some of the schools functioning in makeshift structures are still in tact.

Officials of the Education Department said that of the 2,449 recognised schools in the district, only 79, including 60 primary schools, had been identified as "educational institutions functioning in thatched sheds". Though most of the schools had voluntarily removed the makeshift structures, some of the schools are yet to follow suit.

"Stern action will be taken against the managements and headmasters of these institutions, if they fail to remove the thatched sheds before Monday evening," an official said.

The Collector, Atul Anand, held a meeting today, in which officials, including the District Revenue Officer, R. Thambidurai, the Revenue Divisional Officers of Tenkasi, Cheranmahadevi and Tirunelveli and officials of the Education Department took part. He told the officials to ensure that all thatched sheds in schools were removed by Monday evening, and take stringent action against the managements that refused to comply with the directive.

The thatched structure of a school at Sindhpoondurai was removed after presspersons took photographs of it in the morning. Another school at Tirunelveli Town removed a makeshift structure after the reporters descended on its premises.

However, some more `thatched shed schools', including those at Tirunelveli Junction and Town, are intact.

"We'll wait till Monday evening, and action will follow if the managements do not remove these structures," the official said.

Nagercoil

The district administration has formed a team of officials to remove thatched structures in all aided and private schools.

Presiding over a meeting held at Nagercoil today, the Collector, Rajesh Lakhoni, said strict action would be taken against those who violated the norms on running educational institutions. There were 302 government primary schools, 107 middle schools and 71 high and 49 higher secondary schools in the district. There were 118 aided high and higher secondary schools.

The Collector said the team would visit every village to ensure thatched roof structures in the educational institutions were removed.

The managements of some private schools have started removing thatched sheds in their institutions.

Virudhunagar

All schools with thatched roofs have been instructed to shift classrooms to concrete buildings within a week.

The Collector, A. Mohammed Aslam, has instructed officials of the Revenue and Education Departments to prepare a list of schools that had thatched roofs.

The thatch-roofed marriage halls would also face action, the statement said. Many schools have started removing the thatched roofs, officials said.

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