Protests rage over school boy’s death in accident

Vadodara: A day after a 13-year-old boy died in a road accident on his way to attend a cycle marathon organized by is school, parents associations demanded action against trustees of the Jai Amble School and compensation for the family of the deceased kid.
Vadodara City Parents Association, formed by parents of students most of them studying in Ambe Group of Schools, have given a bandh call on Tuesday in all the schools of the city to protest against the alleged negligence of school officials which they say led to death of Het Chauhan, the class VI student, who was knocked down by a state transport bus.

The association submitted memorandums to district collector, district education officer (DEO) and police officials informing of their decision to enforce a ‘bandh’ in all the city schools.

The All Gujarat Vali Mandal (AGVM) too declared its support to the bandh call given by the association. The Vadodara Parents Association (VPA), however, hasn’t joined the call.

Both the VPA and AGVM on Monday morning held condolence programmes outside the gates of the school premises on Sama-Savli Road even as the school management itself had declared a holiday on Monday after Sunday’s incident when agitated parents and morning walkers had vandalised the premises.

“We are supporting the bandh call given by the parents association in Vadodara. At the same time, we are demanding that trustees of the school should be arrested and the school management should also give Rs 15 lakh compensation to the family of the kid,” said Naresh Shah, president of AGVM.

AGVM also demanded that either the branch of the school should be permanently shut down or it shifted to another location as it is located right adjacent to the busy road.

VPA whose office-bearers had also organized a condolence meet too has demanded compensation for the family.

“We are of the view that since exams are fast approaching, we cannot enforce bandh on schools as it will ultimately effect studies of the children. A strike call will also not permanently resolve the problems faced by school children,” said advocate Kishore Pillai, spokesperson of VPA.

VPA, however, made representations to the traffic department and DEO who have agreed that the gate towards the VIP Road at the school will be closed permanently while encroachments near the school will be removed to create more space.

“We have lost a child and we don’t want to lose another. So, we have demanded that all the gates of all the schools which fall on the main roads should be closed and alternate arrangements be made. The traffic department has agreed to work on this within a week,” he said.

Vadodara’s in-charge DEO M N Patel too has appealed the parents associations not to disrupt academic sessions in schools by enforcing bandh.

“We will take all the necessary action if there was any negligence on the part of the school. But such a ‘bandh’ call will result in inconvenience to many parents,” said Patel, who has ordered a probe into Sunday’s incident.