Delhi coaching centre deaths: A day after three civil services aspirants were killed when the basement of their coaching institute was flooded with rainwater, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) initiated 'bulldozer action' to remove illegal encroachments in the Old Rajendra Nagar area of the national capital on Monday. The footpath, which was built by covering the sewer outside the institute, is being demolished using bulldozers.
Meanwhile, Delhi Municipal Corporation Commissioner Ashwani Kumar has terminated the local Junior Engineer (JE) and suspended the Assistant Engineer (AE). This marks the first significant action taken by the corporation against officials following the accident.
Illegal coaching centres sealed
Earlier on Sunday, the MCD had sealed 13 illegally run basements of coaching centres in Old Rajinder Nagar of Delhi. According to a statement by the MCD, the sealed coaching centres were found to be operating in basements in violation of rules.
The MCD had last year conducted a survey of such coaching centres after a massive fire broke out at an institute in Mukharjee Nagar, another coaching hub in north Delhi. "To begin with, the survey will be used to identify those flouting norms," the official said.
MCD to set up high-level committee to investigate the flooding
Three civil services aspirants -- two females and a male -- died after a library housed in the basement of Rau's IAS centre got inundated in a heavy rain Saturday night and reportedly led to the failure of the single biometric entry and exit point.
Meanwhile, the MCD will set up a high-level committee to investigate the flooding of the coaching centre's basement. “A gross criminal negligence is found on the part of the owner of the institute…The students could have escaped had the exit been free. The MCD only approves the building plan but if somebody misuses the basement for commercial activities after declaring it will be used for parking and storing purposes, what else can the agency do to ensure protection?” an MCD official told news agency PTI.
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