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IAS coaching centre ‘held classes in basement’; plaint filed month ago
Complainant had urged Delhi govt. to take strict action against Rau’s IAS Study Circle for not obtaining permission for it; aspirant alleged that a high-level MCD official ‘received money’ to let violation continue; institute had fire NOC: DFS chief
Students staging a protest against the death of three civil services aspirants in the basement of a coaching institute at Old Rajinder Nagar in New Delhi on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP
Almost a month before tragedy struck at Rau’s IAS Study Circle, a student of the institute had filed a complaint with the Delhi government about a classroom being run “illegally” from the building’s basement.
In the complaint filed on June 26 on a public grievance portal of the Administrative Reforms Department, the student said the classes were being run “without obtaining a no-objection certificate” from the authorities concerned.
The student also alleged that when he complained to the authorities concerned about it, he was told that a high-level official in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is “being paid money” to continue with the violation.
“This is an example of corruption in the MCD. Please take strict action against big UPSC coaching institutes putting students’ lives at risk by holding classes at unauthorised places,” the complaint stated.
‘Poor living conditions’
Several students protesting against the death of three students who were trapped inside the flooded basement of the institute highlighted the crumbling infrastructure and living conditions in the area, considered to be a hub of coaching institutes.
Reenu Rawat, a 24-year-old defence services aspirant from Haryana’s Rewari, said most coaching institutes have opened libraries in their basements, which get flooded when it rains.
“This issue is not limited to coaching institutes, many people are running paying guest facilities in basements. On Saturday, when it rained, sewage entered our room, which is inside a basement. We are out on the street since then,” Ms. Rawat said
Pranit, 21, a UPSC aspirant from Hyderabad, said basements lack emergency exit points and proper ventilation
“We have left our families and homes to come here and study because Delhi is a hub of coaching institutes. A student died last week in Patel Nagar. All politicians said action will be taken, and now, three more students have died. This is disheartening for us,” he said.
‘Complaints ignored’
According to the protesting students, they had complained to the MCD several times, but to no avail. “Our lives are at risk and nobody is going to take responsibility after we’re dead,” a student said.
However, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg said Rau’s IAS Study Circle had obtained the fire NOC. He said the major issue is that the basements in the area are at the level of the road. “Coaching centres have installed iron gates at their entrance. Whenever it rains, they shut down their gates and use plastic wraps to cover them in a bid to prevent water from entering their buildings. On Saturday, the coaching institute’s gate broke and the water that had accumulated on the road entered the basement,” he said.
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