The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Negligence led to mishap: Collector

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 03, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Negligence led to mishap: Collector

Special Correspondent

Favours inquiry by a State-level officer

CHENNAI: The Pudukottai Collector told the Madras High Court that gross negligence on the part of education officials resulted in 20 children being injured in a school building roof collapse at Thirugokaranam on January 22.

A report to this effect was filed by District Collector S.J. Chiru, who had been directed by the First Bench comprising Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice K. Chandru to hold an inquiry into the incident. Though the petitioner T.R.K. Muthuraman, claimed that over 40 children were injured in the roof collapse at the Sri Venkateswara Nursery and Primary School, the Collector said a total of 21 persons — 11 boys, nine girls and a teacher — suffered injuries. He said the students were admitted in the Government Hospital and provided quality medical attention.

Listing out officials, the Collector said they had not acted in a manner prescribed by the Government and had failed to enforce the mandatory instructions for approved nursery schools. He favoured a detailed departmental inquiry by a State-level officer of the department to fix responsibility and take stringent action against them.

After a preliminary inquiry revealed that the institution was being run at the site without permission, the Collector had asked the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) to hold a detailed probe and submit his recommendations. The RDO suggested stringent action against an engineer who had given the suitability certificate to the dilapidated building, a fire officer who gave a no-objection certificate, the District Elementary Education Officer, two Assistant Primary Education Officers, a Chief Education Officer and an Inspector of Matriculation Schools.

On Friday, when the matter came up before the Bench, the Joint Director of Elementary Education Department and the Pudukottai District Elementary Education Officer were present in court.

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