Patiala MC under fire for taking pupils to rally sans parents' permission

Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 26

The Municipal Corporation, along with a private school, put hundreds of lives under threat by taking out a rally of school students in the busy markets of the city. The school students were made to walk during peak traffic hours in the name of an event. Officials at the MC said they roped in over 50 students from class 10 for the rally. The rally started at around 10.30 am and continued for about an hour, during which the students, as part of the rally, walked on the road near railway crossing 22.

Municipal inspector Inderjit Singh said the decision to hold the rally was impromptu. “We ensured the safety of the students. They were also gifted t-shirts,” he said.

Aman Sekhon, an information education communication (IEC) expert in the municipal health branch, said the corporation and the school held a cycle rally where the students also talked to the commuters. He said the event was organised upon the request of the school, and a team from the Municipal Corporation along with the staff of the school accompanied the students during this rally. He said they did not seek any permissions from the students’ parents and added, “We took all safety measures.”

Shaina Kapoor, District Child Protection Officer (DCPO), said her office will inquire into the matter. “We will initiate action in case they are found to have violated any law,” she said.

The Municipal Corporation also held a seminar on Sawachhta-hi-sewa at the Government College for Girls here today.