Delhi govt to strenthen infrastructure in its schools

New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) The city government today said ithas decided to start working in a month on strengthening theinfrastructure in its schools to avoid repeat of a mishap likestampede in Khajoori Khas school in 2009.

Appearing before a Delhi High Court''s division benchof Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna,Standing Counsel Najmi Waziri said work would start in its 400schools all over the city within a month.

To his submission, the Bench sought an affidavit fromthe government with details about the nature of work it wouldcarry out to avoid any type of mishap in any school.

At least five girls were killed in the stampede thathad occurred when they were moving up and down using a narrowstaircase after they were asked to shift classrooms duringexaminations on a rainy day on September 10, 2009.

Earlier, the court had enhanced the exgratia paymentcompensation amount from Rs 2 to Rs 5 lakh and directed thegovernment pay it to the parents of the five girls who werekilled in the incident.

The court had also enhanced the ex-gratia amount tothe families of 35 injured children from Rs 50,000, to Rs75,000.

The court was earlier informed that one of the causesfor the stampede was the rumour that current passed throughthe flood water, leading to the rush of children to escape.

The court had directed the competent authority to broadenthe passage of the school and build a proper drainage systemto clear waterlogging in the premises as expeditiously aspossible.

The Bench had also directed the government to take actionagainst the officials responsible for occurrence of such aman-made incident in the school. PTI PNM

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