Jaipur, July 26 (IANS) In the wake of the tragic roof collapse at a government school in Piplodi village of Rajasthan Jhalawar district, Secretary of the School Education Department, Krishna Kunal has issued a stern message, stating that the safety of school children is the department’s foremost responsibility.
He emphasised that any negligence on the part of teachers or officials will not be tolerated and will attract strict disciplinary action.
Chairing a video conference review meeting on Saturday, Kunal instructed officials to submit a physical report of every room in each government school under their jurisdiction, whether dilapidated or not, by July 30 in the prescribed format.
He also directed the development of a geo-tagging-based application, with the help of the Department of Information Technology (DoIT), for better monitoring and record-keeping. Highlighting the importance of student safety beyond school premises, the Secretary instructed officials to ensure the safety of children on their way to and from school.
In view of the monsoon season, he called for extra vigilance and asked for immediate reporting of any waterlogging or dangerous conditions along school routes.
He also directed that every school be equipped with first aid facilities and that staff receive basic first aid training. As part of the government’s response to the incident, Kunal announced that the family of each deceased child would receive Rs 10 lakh as financial assistance.
He added that the classrooms affected by the incident would be named in memory of the children.
Additionally, he declared that no celebratory events or departmental functions would be held in the School Education Department’s offices for the next 7 to 8 days as a mark of respect and mourning.
The Secretary also ordered that disaster management training be made mandatory in all schools. He instructed Jhalawar district officials to ensure proper medical care for the injured and to act immediately during such incidents rather than getting caught up in procedural delays. In the event of heavy rain, officials were directed to suspend school activities promptly.
A proposal was also discussed to establish a dedicated Disaster Management Cell within the department, as suggested by Additional State Project Director Suresh Kumar Bunkar.
During the meeting, officials were informed about the Garima Helpline, which can be used to report safety concerns related to students and female staff. Schools and offices will display information about the helpline to facilitate quick action when required. Director of Secondary and Elementary Education, Sitaram Jat, reiterated that the deadline for submitting physical school infrastructure reports is July 30.
He expressed disappointment over the incident and stressed that prior directives had already been issued multiple times to identify unsafe buildings.
He urged all officials to work with seriousness and empathy to ensure children’s safety. State Project Director and Commissioner of Samagra Shiksha, Anupama Jorwal, called for enhanced coordination among departments to prevent such incidents in the future. The meeting also reviewed ongoing programs such as Praveshotsav, free textbook distribution, and Hariyalo Rajasthan, with directives for their timely completion.
A two-minute silence was observed in memory of the children who lost their lives. Earlier in the day, Secretary Krishna Kunal visited the hospital to meet the injured children and their families.
He directed the hospital administration to provide the best possible treatment and advised the education officials to stay in close coordination with medical staff. He also visited the incident site to assess the situation firsthand and discussed possible causes and preventive measures with villagers and district authorities.
–IANS
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