Network of wires over school buildings to be removed soon: UP govt

A day after 50 students were injured when a high-tension wire fell into a primary school here, Uttar Pradesh Basic Education Minister Anupma Jaiswal on Tuesday said network of wires over school buildings in the state will be removed to check recurrence of similar incidents.

Jaiswal, who visited the Naya Nagar Vishnupur area where the incident took place on Monday, said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken a serious note of the matter and directed the officials concerned to take adequate steps to prevent such episodes in the future.

“The chief minister has taken a serious note of the incident and all those found responsible for the incident will be taken to task,” she told reporters. “Continuous efforts are on to ensure quality education and improve the condition of school buildings. Steps have been initiated to repair 42,000 school buildings which are in a very bad shape, under a scheme,” the minister said.

“Directives have also been issued to transfer students of those schools whose buildings are either inundated due to flood-like situation or the conditions are not conducive for teaching in them,” she said.

Jaiswal also visited the injured students in the Monday incident and assured their parents of good medical care. About 50 students were injured Monday when the high-tension wire fell into the primary school in Naya Nagar Vishnupur area, prompting the chief minister to order a probe into the incident.

When the wire fell into the school, the students were at a distance, but water had collected in the compound after rainfall due to which they came in contact with electricity, District Magistrate Karun Karunesh had said.

Two employees of the Power Department were suspended and a departmental inquiry ordered against them. Adityanath had also directed Principal Secretary Energy and MD, UP Power Corporation to run a campaign to safeguard people from the risk of high-tension wires.