Engineering, Education depts offer excuses, assurances

Amarjot Kaur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 16

A day after some 20-odd bricks fell off the joist at the Sector 53 Government High School in which students had a narrow escape, the Engineering and Education Department had only excuses and assurances to offer.

While the Education Department absolved itself of any responsibility for the incident, the officials of the Engineering Department maintained that there was nothing wrong with the building. Though the District Education Officer (DEO) claimed to have visited the site, top officials of the department blamed their absence on “Sunday”.

Chief engineer Mukesh Anand said, “Our staff had removed all bricks on Saturday, but I can’t comment on anything. I was told that the superintendent engineer had gone to the spot on Sunday. I’ll visit the school on Monday.”

Executive engineer Rajesh Kumar said he had visited the spot on the day of the incident. “We removed all bricks after we got to know about the incident. I visited the spot at 11 am on Saturday. On Sunday too, junior engineer Anshul went to the school to get its maintenance work done. We have removed dally and we won’t be putting it up again,” he said.

When told that some schoolchildren saw the entire layer of bricks falling off the beam, Kumar said he had picture evidence of his team removing the bricks, but they were never sent to this correspondent, despite assurance.

Kumar said, “I guess Ruchika Constructions has been given the contract for maintenance work. We will visit the school again.”

DEO Anujit Kaur said she visited the school between 10 am and 11 am. “Technically, only the Engineering Department will be able to comment on it. When we first received a complaint about the building, DSE Rubinderjit Brar said he had got the building surveyed by PEC Engineers, who assured that there was nothing wrong with it. I will visit the school on Monday,” she said.

Meanwhile, Brar said, “I did not go there today as it’s Sunday. I’ll seek a report and will meet the Chief Engineer on Monday.” When contacted, Principal RD Sharma, who claimed that he was in school from 11 am to 1.30 pm, said no one came to the school at least while he was there. “Only junior engineer was there for the maintenance work. I was told that someone from the Education Department had come, but I wasn’t there at that time,” he added.