Chandigarh, Apr 12: A special drive were conducted across Haryana on Friday to crack down on school buses plying without necessary documents and valid permits, a day after six children were killed and 20 sustained injuries in an accident in Mahendragarh district.
Haryana Chief Secretary T V S N Prasad issued stringent directives to the civil and police administration to check within the next 10 days, the fitness of all school buses in their districts even as a committee was set up to probe the factors leading to the accident.
According to officials, all concerned departments, including the traffic police, on Friday carried out special drives across the state to check whether school buses plying on the roads were following all norms and had necessary documents like roadworthiness, pollution under check, and valid permits.
Meanwhile, Prasad chaired an emergency meeting and was informed by Additional Chief Secretary, School Education, G Anupama that the Mahendragarh district municipal commissioner has assumed control over the management of the school whose bus was involved in the accident.
The meeting, conducted via video conference and convened to reinforce safety measures in schools, saw participation from divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, range additional DGPs, commissioners of police, and district SPs, an official statement said.
It is very important that unfit buses be promptly replaced with new ones and trained drivers be engaged by schools to ensure safe transportation. If any school fails to comply with the instructions, strict and exemplary action be taken against those responsible, the chief secretary directed.
As public servants, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that school children receive the highest standard of safe transportation facilities, the senior official said.
He told the officials that he wanted strict action against all those responsible for the accident asserting that those who play with the lives of innocent children must face severe consequences.
Strict action must be taken so that fear is instilled among those who engage in such callous actions, he added.
