Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], July 27 : In the wake of a school roof collapse incident in Jhalawar that left seven children dead and many other injured, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has urged authorities in the State to monitor government buildings frequently to ensure their fitness. He called the roof collapse incident" very tragic."
"This is a very tragic incident. We cannot even imagine what the families of the children who died in this accident must be going through... The question is not about which party's government is in power. If we remain vigilant and monitor continuously, such accidents can be prevented," Gehlot told ANI.
"If responsible officers and employees pay attention, such incidents can be avoided... I have heard that the Chief Minister will get all government buildings audited, which is a good thing, but the people of the state should have confidence that all officers and employees will act on the Chief Minister's words and monitor them. If they do so, it is a good thing, and monitoring is essential," He added.
The roof collapse happened at Piplodi Primary School in Jhalawar district on Friday morning.
Following the incident, the Rajasthan government has decided to prioritise the repair of dilapidated school buildings, government institutions, and Anganwadi centres across the state.
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma announced that the permissible allocation under the Dang, Magra, and Mewat Regional Development Plan for the repair of government institutions, including school buildings and Anganwadi centres, would be increased from 15 per cent to 20 per cent.
Additionally, under the MLA Local Area Development Scheme (MLA-LAD), repair work can be undertaken for government institutions, school buildings, and Anganwadi centres constructed under any scheme, with recommendations allowed for works up to 20% of the annual allocation.
CM Sharma urged all MLAs to give top priority to recommending repair work for dilapidated and repairable government institutions, school buildings, and Anganwadi centres in their respective constituencies.
Five officials of the Education Department have been suspended as the investigation begins in the Rajasthan's Jhalawar school roof collapse case, said a senior official on Saturday.