Cracks in ITI College building expose chinks in its management

Ajay Joshi

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 29

The 76-year-old Mehr Chand ITI College, located near the DAV College flyover has developed cracks in the ceiling and various portions of the administrative block and three workshops. As part of the infrastructural survey carried out by the Public Works Department (PWD) in the month of June, this year, the institute, established in 1944, was declared unsafe.

Despite that, the enrollment of students for different courses continued during this academic year. The institute was erected by the DAV management and it is providing vocational training as per the memorandum issued by the President of India in the year 1954. Since its inception, the administrative powers of the institution are vested with the Principal, appointed by the DAV Managing Committee, New Delhi, and all other staff members are government employees.

Principal of the college Vijay Sharma said no funds have been released by the state government for its repair or renovation. While the premises and buildings of the institution are the property of the DAV Managing Committee, since 1955, it was brought under the state government for its management and functioning. Hence, its maintenance comes under the Department of Technical Education and Industrial Training.

“It was in the year 1999 when the institute last received the payment for its repair. For the past 20 years, the college has been receiving only meager grants under the Professional Service Funds. Due to the dilapidated condition of the college, it was eventually declared unsafe in July on several parameters including; visual cracks and corrosion, steel reinforcement was exposed, no repair to provide interior and exterior coating. However, no grant was offered to patch up the cracks. Subsequently, the DAV Management, after serving a notice to the department, filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Surprisingly, after the department was summoned, the PWD Engineer, who had declared the college unsafe earlier, in another letter, on September 16, announced it safe for the students, after visiting the college in the second week of August (copies of both the letters is with The Tribune),” added Sharma.

DAV management has sought a stay for enrollment of students, from the High Court, till the college buildings are revamped. Sharma also alleged that after the building was declared unsafe, some employees of the ITI indulged in hooliganism and removed the office furniture from principal’s office and the name plate of the principal was also removed by DDO Tarlochan Singh. Kumar Saurabh Raj, Director Technical Education and Industrial Training, maintained that the building was safe and only required minor repair.