Govt acts against underground fuel storage in south Delhi school

Govt acts against underground fuel storage in south Delhi school

New Delhi: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia addresses a press conference in New Delhi, on April 26, 2019. (Photo: IANS)

New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) The Delhi government has filed an FIR and ordered a probe involving a private school in Greater Kailash-II here after an underground fuel storage-cum-pumping station was found in the basement of the school with diesel storage of 2,500 litres.

Speaking to the media at his residence, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said he will meet the parents of students studying in K.R. Mangalam School on Monday.

"The government has ordered an FIR and strict action against the school for running an illegal 2,500-liter diesel storage-cum-pumping station in the basement of the school. The parents have been continuously agitating and reaching out to the area MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj," Sisodia, also the Education Minister, said.

Sisodia said the parents came to him with various complaints against the school.

"The most alarming was the complaint about illegal diesel storage in the basement of the school premises which serves as an institution for at least 3,000 students. I had written to the Chief Secretary for an independent investigative raid with the DM, SDM, Fire Department and Delhi Jal Board in loop, which was conducted on April 20 and 22.

"Today (on Friday), I held a review meeting with all officers to understand the outcome of the investigation. The fuel tank was found to be filled with diesel at the time of the raid. The students were studying on top of a varitable live bomb. The parents of that school and other schools are in a state of panic about the safety of their children," he said.

He said he had ordered an FIR against the school and also ordered to seize the illegal water boring in the school, and the government has pulled out the diesel and dried the well with sand. "There will be strict action against other illegal activities too," Sisodia said.

"I have fixed a meeting with all the parents of the school on April 29 to assure them that the security and health of the students are of top priority for the Delhi government. I would appeal to other parents too, to never hesitate in bringing such malpractices by private schools to our knowledge," he said, adding the branches of the school will be raided if there is a complaint.

Bharadwaj, who was also with Sisodia, said the school is fully air-conditioned and expensive. It is attended mostly by the children of the upper class.

"I am happy that the government took cognisance of how serious this issue was and strict action was taken against the school, despite Model Code Of Conduct. I am looking forward to the important interaction between parents and Sisodia in the school," he said.

--IANS

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