Chandigarh: All government, private and aided schools, colleges and universities in Punjab will open normally from Monday i.e. September 8. If any school or college is affected by floods, the decision to close it will be taken by the Deputy Commissioner of the concerned district. Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains gave this information in a post on social media.
Due to floods and heavy rains for the last several days, the Punjab government had ordered all government, private and aided schools, colleges and universities to remain closed till September 7, but now after the weather has cleared in Punjab, educational institutions are being reopened.
Instructions regarding opening of educational institutions
All schools, colleges and universities in the state will open normally from Monday. If any school or college is affected by floods, the decision to close it will be taken by the Deputy Commissioner of the concerned district.
It will be mandatory for the managers of private schools to ensure that the school buildings and classrooms are completely safe so that the safety of students and teachers can be ensured.
All government schools in the state will remain closed for students on September 8. Teachers will be present in schools and cleanliness drives will be carried out in collaboration with SMCs, panchayats, municipal councils and corporations.
Teachers will conduct a thorough inspection of school buildings. If any problem is found in the building, it should be immediately reported to the Deputy Commissioner of the district and the Engineering Department.
All government schools will open normally from September 9.
Conditions for schools
As per the instructions issued by the state government, it will be mandatory for the operators of private schools to ensure that the school buildings and classrooms are completely safe so that the safety of students and teachers can be ensured. Apart from this, all government schools in the state will remain closed for students on September 8. Teachers will be present in schools and will oversee the cleanliness drive.
The decision to extend the holidays will be taken by the district administration
Although as per government orders, schools are to open on Monday, September 8, but the current situation in Punjab suggests that the holidays may be extended again, as areas in some flood-affected districts are still submerged in water. Many schools are also in the grip of floods. However, schools can be opened in some areas, especially in urban areas. The decision to open the school will be taken by the district administration.
It is worth noting that this step of the Punjab government has been taken keeping in mind the safety of students and teachers, as the flood water has not yet receded in many districts and it may take time for the situation to return to normal. Also, the administration has appealed to all the people to stay safe and follow the instructions issued by the local administration from time to time. According to officials, any kind of negligence can make the situation more serious.
Brother and sister died due to drowning in flood water in Kapurthala
Floods in Phagwara area of Kapurthala district took the lives of a brother and sister. The deceased have been identified as Sanjeev Kumar and Preeti. Family members said that ‘Sanjeev Kumar and Preeti left home at around 12 noon on Saturday to get medicine in Ranipur village. When they reached near Dugga village, the balance of the bicycle got disturbed and both drowned in flood water in the fields. By the time both the siblings were pulled out, they had died.’
One person died due to drowning in Ferozepur too
One person died due to drowning in flood water in Ferozepur district too. It is said that Gurmel Singh, who was going to get medicine from the relief camp for his ailing wife, was swept away by the strong current of water and died. The former sarpanch of the village said that ‘when things do not reach the needy, they themselves take the risk of going out in the middle of the flood. Due to which such accidents are happening.’
