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Ludhiana, July 19
The Chief Justice of High Court of Punjab and Haryana & Justice Arun Palli has issued notices to State of Punjab & others in a PIL against unrecognised business of coaching centers running in commercial as well as residential buildings in violation of Building Bylaws as well as without following mandatory fire safety provisions.
The petitioner has alleged that most of the coaching centers running in Punjab have violated building bye-laws in terms of excess coverage, fire safety provisions & land use. The width of staircase in such buildings was far less than as required and there was no emergency exit too
It has been claimed that despite directions of High court, the MCs as well as PUDA were not willing to take action to remove huge illegal hoardings installed on the front of the buildings due to which, the students will not get escape route, if any fire incident like Surat happens.
The educational Institutes running in residential areas cause inconvenience to residents of locality in terms of haphazard parking, noise and traffic chaos. Such coaching centers with serious flaws were against Right to Life & Education granted under Article 21 & 21A as the students must study in the environment of safety.
These institutes were not less than second school for teenage students but these SCOs/SCFs not fit to be used as coaching c enters/Educational Institutes. These institutions were taking much more fee than Schools (varying from thousands to lakhs per annum) but have no responsibility & accountability of providing any safe environment for Students in Punjab.
All such illegal activities were going on in active connivance with the concerned officials of Municipal Corporation as well as PUDA, GLADA. and thus risking the lives of thousands of students at all times, alleges the petitioner Er Kapil Arora, president of Council of Engineers.
The matter will come up for hearing on 26-09-2019.
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