Puri: Puri Collector Aravind Agrawal has directed the Sarva Sikhya Abhiyan (SSA) and Rural Development department to take immediate steps to pull down all unsafe structures at schools.
An official said the administration has also decided to initiate criminal proceedings against the assistant engineer of district SSA and the executive engineer of RD in the event of any mishap involving the dilapidated structures at schools.
Dilapidated structures on the premises of schools have become a threat to the safety of students in the district here.
A student had died and 24 others sustained injuries when a dilapidated wall at Basukera Saraswati Sishu Vidyamandir near Sakhigopal collapsed September 8, 2016.
Subsequently, the district collector had convened a high-level meeting and asked the RD department to identify all unsafe structures at private and government schools within 15 days. The administration had decided to demolish all such structures on school premises after receiving a report in this regard from the RD department.
According to SSA sources, the RD department had identified 653 dilapidated structures at 347 schools in the district. However, authorities have so far demolished only 90 such structures.
