Chandigarh: Child rights panel flags fire safety concerns at schools
The Chandigarh commission for protection of child rights (CCPCR) has taken suo-moto cognisance of reports regarding the status of NOCs issued by fire department to government and private schools of the city.CCPCR chairperson, Shipra Bansal stated that only three government schools in Chandigarh possess valid fire safety certificates (FSC) issued by municipal corporation’s fire department. The CCPCR had sought a list detailing the status of fire safety certificates (FSC) in various schools.Upon examination of the list, 75 government schools and 18 private schools lack valid fire safety certificates, while FSCs for five private schools have also expired as per the commission.Bansal said, “We will call a committee meeting with officials of both the fire department and the UT education department to take up the issue further. While we have learned that some schools are in the process of acquiring these NOCs, it will be checked how long the process has been going on and why it has taken so long.”Education department’s take UT director school education Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar said, “The schools are already in the process of getting the required certificates. As many as 109 government schools have applied online on the MC website for the certificates. Two have already been issued, rest are under process. Out of private schools, 27 have already received them and 57 of them are under process.”“The department has ensured that all schools have adequate fire fighting equipment like extinguishers and sand buckets engineered to combat fires. However, as per the fire department standards, the installation of fire hoses and hydrants is being undertaken on a war footing by the UT engineering department. The school education department hopes that all schools will be equipped with fire safety certificates by the end of this academic year,” he added.
oustfire
The Chandigarh commission for protection of child rights (CCPCR) has taken suo-moto cognisance of reports regarding the status of NOCs issued by fire department to government and private schools of the city.
CCPCR chairperson, Shipra Bansal stated that only three government schools in Chandigarh possess valid fire safety certificates (FSC) issued by municipal corporation’s fire department.
The CCPCR had sought a list detailing the status of fire safety certificates (FSC) in various schools.Upon examination of the list, 75 government schools and 18 private schools lack valid fire safety certificates, while FSCs for five private schools have also expired as per the commission.
Bansal said, “We will call a committee meeting with officials of both the fire department and the UT education department to take up the issue further. While we have learned that some schools are in the process of acquiring these NOCs, it will be checked how long the process has been going on and why it has taken so long.”
Education department’s take
UT director school education Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar said, “The schools are already in the process of getting the required certificates. As many as 109 government schools have applied online on the MC website for the certificates. Two have already been issued, rest are under process. Out of private schools, 27 have already received them and 57 of them are under process.”
“The department has ensured that all schools have adequate fire fighting equipment like extinguishers and sand buckets engineered to combat fires. However, as per the fire department standards, the installation of fire hoses and hydrants is being undertaken on a war footing by the UT engineering department. The school education department hopes that all schools will be equipped with fire safety certificates by the end of this academic year,” he added.
