New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Wednesday said she will meet Chief Minister Atishi to address the concerns of the owners of the "sealed" coaching coaching centres, while also ensuring student safety.
The mayor held a high-level meeting to discuss the issues regarding the sealing of coaching centres in different areas following the death of three UPSC aspirants in the basement of a coaching centre in Rajender Nagar which raised concerns about safety measures, an official statement said.
The meeting was attended by key officials, including MLAs Durgesh Pathak and Dilip Pandey, as well as Additional Commissioner Jitender Yadav and other concerned officers. Representatives of different coaching centres were also present at the meeting.
During the meeting, representatives of the sealed coaching centres referred to a court order from August 16 last year stating that coaching centres located on the ground and first floors of buildings under 9 meters in height do not need a fire department's No Objection Certificate (NOC). Despite this, many centres have been sealed, disrupting their operations, they complained.
Additional Commissioner Jitender Yadav said following the flooding incident in Rajendra Nagar, the court has tightened its stance on safety.
The court has directed that coaching centres should only operate if they comply with all building regulations and fire safety norms. This applies to all centres, regardless of whether they are on the ground or first floors, he said as quoted by the statement.
A Joint Task Force, created as per court directions, will soon submit a report with recommendations on the current situation. This report will be shared with coaching centre representatives to help guide future actions, the statement read.
Mayor Oberoi assured the stakeholders that a meeting will soon be held with the chief minister, the Delhi Fire Service, and MCD officials.
"We will work towards a solution that ensures student safety while addressing the concerns of coaching centre operators," she said.