Kerala Govt To Conduct Infrastructure Audit In Schools After 13-Year-Old Boy Dies Of Electrocution

(MENAFN- IANS) Thiruvananthapuram, July 21 (IANS) Days after a 13-year-old Class 8 student Mithun was electrocuted here while retrieving his footwear from the rooftop at his school, the Kerala Education department, on Monday, announced that a complete school infrastructure audit will take place.

An electric line was passing through the top of the shed on which Mithun climbed on and while he slipped he came in contact with the live wire and dies instantly.

State Education Minister V. Sivankutty, on Monday, told the media that the statewide audit of school infrastructure will be held starting from July 25 to 31.

"On Tuesday, a high level meeting of officials in the Education department would be held when the guidelines for the audit would be discussed," Sivankutty said.

The Kerala education system is handled by the government schools, the aided segment (where the salaries are paid by the state government, while appointments are done by the managements) and the unaided sector.

To start with, the infrastructure audit will begin in the aided sector, followed by the state-run schools and then the unaided sector.

Incidentally, ever since the shocking death of Mithun took place last week before classes began, it has been a free for all, with the Congress-led UDF and the BJP have been in a protest mode hitting out at the callous attitude of the authorities in the state.

When Sivankutty was speaking to the media in Alappuzha district at Karthikapally, a protest broke out when the media started shooting the broken down building, which according to authorities was closed down, while the locals denied this.

However, when Sivankutty was told about the ruckus at Karthikapally, he said there is no need to chase away the media.

"It's the media which highlights issues and there is no reason to turn the ire towards the media. The officials will look into the Karthikapally school incident," the Minister added.

Even though Sivankutty said about the upcoming audit, just before the commencement of every academic year, it is mandatory for all schools to get an audit done by the local village council authorities and at the school where Mithun lost his life.

The fitness certificate was also given, when the electric line has been there for the past eight years since the shed was built.

While the school principal has been suspended for laxity of adhering to rules, the school management, who owes allegiance to the CPI-M is yet to be proceeded against.

The police have commenced a probe and the local Electricity Board officials, besides the village council staff, might be also arraigned as accused.

The school will reopen on Tuesday after the disaster took place.

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