Authorities in Jharkhand's Dhanbad have ordered coaching centres found violating fire-safety norms to suspend classes until they comply with prescribed standards, following surprise inspections carried out across the city.
The inspections were conducted on Wednesday in the City Centre and Seraidhela areas in the aftermath of a fire at a coaching institute in Lucknow earlier this week that claimed 15 lives, most of them students aged between 16 and 25.
Officials said several large and small coaching centres were found to have serious safety deficiencies, including inadequate firefighting equipment, lack of proper emergency exits, poor ventilation and overcrowded classrooms.
Some institutes were reportedly accommodating nearly twice their permitted capacity, creating potentially dangerous conditions in the event of an emergency.
Deputy Commissioner Aditya Ranjan said the district administration had adopted a strict approach towards institutions that compromise student safety.
“We have adopted a stern stance against coaching institutes that compromise student safety and disregard fire-safety norms. Surprise inspections of coaching institutes in different parts of the city will continue,” Ranjan said.
Also read: Lucknow tragedy: Delhi orders inspection of 923 coaching centers
Sub-Divisional Magistrate Lokesh Barange said coaching centres found violating safety regulations would not be permitted to resume classes until they obtained a no-objection certificate from the district fire department and fully complied with fire-safety requirements.
“Student safety is the administration's top priority. No one will be allowed to endanger children's lives for commercial gain,” Barange said.
He also warned that legal action would be initiated against operators who fail to comply with the directives.
The inspections form part of a broader effort by the district administration to ensure educational institutions adhere to safety standards and are adequately prepared to handle emergencies.
Officials indicated that similar surprise inspections would continue in other parts of the city in the coming days to identify and rectify safety violations.
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