JAIPUR: Mishaps in Rajasthan’s government schools simply refuse to stop. After last month’s tragedies in Jhalawar and Jaisalmer, which claimed the lives of eight students, a girl died after the balcony of an under-construction government school collapsed on her in Udaipur’s Kotda.Taking swift action, the government has held local officials guilty of negligence. The accident took place on Independence Day at PM Shri Government Higher Primary School in Patharpadi village under Kotda police station. Strict measures have rapidly been initiated. Acting Assistant Engineer (AEN) Hem Singh has been suspended and the services of the contractual civil consultant have been terminated. In addition, instructions have been issued to register an FIR against the contractor firm, M/s Divyanshi Enterprises.Hem Singh, originally appointed as a Grade III teacher, had been working as an AEN for the past 11 years. JEN Anil Kashyap, who was drawing a salary of Rs 15,000, had been handling the technical monitoring of school buildings for nearly 22 years.Villagers allege that substandard materials were being used in the construction of the school. Following the incident, all construction work has been halted. Education Minister Madan Dilawar said the department acted immediately after taking cognisance of the matter and that a high-level probe is now underway.Questions have also been raised about the appointment of a teacher and a contractual worker instead of qualified engineers to monitor the work for the school’s construction. Udaipur ADPC Nanihal Singh defended the decision, saying both officials held engineering diplomas and were deputed by higher authorities from Jaipur. He admitted, however, that while the AEN and JEN were directly responsible for site monitoring, he too shared accountability. “The negligence lies with the contractor, which is why a case has been registered against him,” Singh said.The accident occurred on Friday when the balcony of the under-construction building suddenly collapsed. One girl died on the spot, while another sustained serious injuries and was later shifted to Gujarat for treatment. Both girls were not students of the school. The deceased had come to her grandmother’s house and, on Friday morning, was on her way to the toilet with a friend when the balcony collapsed, burying her under the debris. Eyewitnesses say the accident was caused by improper filling of the lintel and rather premature removal of shuttering.According to information, the Central Government had sanctioned Rs 75 lakh for the construction of the school building, which was to include seven rooms and other facilities. Work began in February and was scheduled to be completed by August 5, but remained unfinished. The contractor had already sought a two-month extension.
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