Sunday, 22 OCTOBER 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The principal of DAV PG College KR Jain has urged the HNB Garhwal Central University to revise the fee structure of the college in order to prioritise the safety of students. Recently, a young woman died after a roadside wall of the college suddenly collapsed on the road on Thursday night. Regarding this, Jain said that six months ago, he had written a letter to the Forest department seeking permission to remove a tree that was causing the wall to weaken and becoming a hindrance in repairing the wall. He claimed that the department ignored the letter and did not grant permission for a long time. In light of the recent incident, Jain alleged that the Forest department falsely claimed to have given permission to cut the tree on October 12, although no such permission was actually communicated to the college. He further emphasised that the college management diligently takes care of maintenance every year. However, due to limited resources, it cannot fully prioritise enhanced safety measures. “To enhance the safety measures within the college premises, we urge the Garhwal Central University to revise the fee structure with regard to student safety,” Jain said.
Former president of DAV College students union, Paras Goyal told this correspondent that the college principal is merely providing excuses to absolve himself from responsibility in the recent incident. The principal and the head of maintenance are both equally responsible for the unfortunate loss of the young woman’s life. Despite charging Rs 250 per month from students for college development, they have failed to properly maintain the college. Goyal further said that the students union has repeatedly raised the issue of maintenance with the college management to no avail. The government must seriously consider this matter and promptly take strict action against the college management, he added.
