CM Yogi orders ruthless crackdown after tragic blaze claims 15 lives in Lucknow
June 23 in Lucknow: A day after a devastating coaching center fire in Aliganj claimed the lives of at least fifteen children, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s stern directives prompted statewide inspections of safety standards at coaching institutes, leading to dozens being sealed for violations, with officials confirming that the crackdown campaign will continue.
Fifteen people, including students, died in a massive fire in Lucknow on Monday. This incident shocked everyone. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had to return to Lucknow, cutting short his Aligarh visit. After inspecting the scene and inquiring about the well-being of the injured, a high-level meeting was held with officials late in the evening.
Following this, the government formed teams of officials and directed them to conduct a week-long intensive inspection campaign to inspect all educational institutions across the state. Following this, joint teams of the district administration, fire brigade, and police are conducting the campaign in several major cities and districts, including Lucknow, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Agra, Moradabad, Meerut, Bareilly, Bahraich, Aligarh, and Bulandshahr. Fire safety standards are being closely examined during this campaign. Coaching institutes operating without standards and safety certifications are being sealed with immediate effect. Nine coaching centers in Aligarh district were sealed for non-compliance and failure to submit required documents. These include Mind Stone Coaching Centre at Quarsi Square, Gurukul Civil Judge Study Centre at Quarsi Square, Preferred Coaching Centre at Abdullah Road, Aligarh Competition College at Abdullah Road, Shakti Sir College at Abdullah Road, Wings Academy at Ramghat Road, Red Ace Coaching Centre at Ramghat Road, Buland Jahan Coaching Centre at Ramghat Road and Career IAS Coaching Centre at Abdullah Road.
The Kanpur Development Authority (KDA) Secretary Abhay Pandey said that a special campaign has been started to check the safety standards in Kakadev of the city, which is famous for its coaching market. Nearly 30 coaching institutes were sealed within the last 24 hours. During the inspection, many institutes were found not following the building use, fire safety and other mandatory standards.
To ensure the effectiveness of the campaign, the Central Development Authority (KDA) has formed four special teams. These teams are inspecting various streets and buildings in the area. Action is also underway against several coaching centers in Prayagraj and Varanasi. Similarly, in Bahraich district, City Magistrate Rajesh Prasad, City Circle Officer Narayan Dutt Mishra, Chief Fire Officer Vishal Ramanuj Gaur, and District School Inspector Sarvananda raided coaching centers to assess safety standards. During this raid, two coaching centers were found to be substandard, and a report will be sent to the District Magistrate. Further action will be taken after that.
It is noteworthy that following the devastating fire at a coaching center in Aliganj, Lucknow, the district administration, on government instructions, has launched a special campaign to thoroughly audit safety standards at all coaching centers and educational institutions in the city. The inspections are primarily examining the availability of fire NOCs, fire fighting equipment, and emergency exit routes. Coaching registrations are also being checked. In some locations, it has been found that numerous coaching and educational institutions are operating without registration. Such institutions will be identified and action will be taken. Additionally, institutions operating without standards and safety certificates are being sealed with immediate effect. The Chief Minister also stated in Monday’s meeting that negligence will not be tolerated.
