Haryana Chief Secretary calls for urgent action to ensure safety of students

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 12

Haryana Chief Secretary TVSN Prasad today issued stringent directives to the civil and police administration to inspect every school bus in their respective districts and check their fitness standard within the next 10 days.

Playing with lives of children for profit

I want strict action to be taken against all individuals involved in this tragic incident, regardless of their identity. Those who play with the lives of innocent children for profit must face severe consequences. — TVSN Prasad, chief secretary

He chaired an emergency meeting following a tragic incident in Mahendragarh district, where young schoolchildren lost their lives and many were injured due to negligence.

The meeting, conducted via video conference, included Divisional Commissioners, DCs, Range ADGPs, CPs, and district SPs. Unfit buses should be promptly replaced with new ones and trained drivers be engaged by schools to ensure safe transportation, he directed.

If a school failed to comply with the instructions, exemplary action should be taken, he said. The Chief Secretary said the loss of young lives at Kanina had left the state deeply disturbed and introspection and action was needed. “As public servants, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that schoolchildren receive the highest standard of safe transportation facilities,” he asserted.

“I want strict action to be taken against all individuals involved in this tragic incident, regardless of their identity. Those who play with the lives of innocent children for profit must face severe consequences. Strict action must instil fear among those engaging in such callous actions,” he said.

Numerous policies and guidelines had already been issued by the relevant departments for safety purposes. However, the effective implementation of the measures lay with field officers. He cautioned officers that in the event of a recurrence of such an incident, decisive and unprecedented action would be taken at senior levels, too.

All officers must ensure the replacement of unfit buses with new ones by the school management and that trained drivers were employed. He instructed them to prioritise stringent oversight of influential school management to send a clear message throughout the school system, ensuring strict adherence to safety instructions.

DGP Shatrujeet Kapur said Child Helpline 1098 had been integrated with Haryana 112, ensuring that all calls landed at the emergency number. In addition, he recommended a review of the operational efficiency of district-level committees overseeing the Surakshit School Vahan Policy.

Additional Chief Secretary School Education G Anupama briefed the Chief Secretary that three arrests had already been made in the matter and the District Education Officer had issued a show-cause notice to the school management.

Meanwhile, 836 school buses were checked today, of which 344 were challaned and 179 impounded.

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