Kerala school fitness: Local Self-Government dept engineers exempted from school wiring inspections

The Kerala government has decided to exempt Local Self-Government department (LSGD) assistant engineers from inspecting school wiring and other electrical works. Instead, schools can get these certified by licensed wiremen.

The decision was taken at a meeting to review the school fitness matters attended by Minister for General Education N. Samsudheen, Principal Secretary Sharmila Mary Joseph, Director of General Education Asif K. Yusuf. An order in this regard is yet to be issued though.

In a revised checklist issued along with a circular by Ms. Joseph on May 13, assistant engineers were directed to inspect electrical wiring, ensure transformers were properly fenced, check that there were no exposed or hazardous electric posts or wires near schools, and verify that fire extinguishers had been installed.

According to the May 13 circular, the safety inspections had to be conducted by the assistant engineer and the health inspector (for health and sanitation aspects) and the checklist had to be signed by them as well as the school principal or head teacher. However, assistant engineers had objected to inspection of electrical wiring safety (if old or damaged wiring should be replaced).

Now, these can be inspected by a licensed wireman and the assistant engineers can issue the fitness certificate as in previous years.

The decision has made it possible for fitness inspections to continue so that schools can reopen on June 1.

A recent Kerala Administrative Tribunal order that the assistant engineers should not be compelled to issue no-objection certificates till May 29 had raised widespread concerns that fitness certification would come to a halt and schools would not be able to reopen on June 1.

Assistant engineers had contended in KAT that they would not be in a position to ascertain school safety at levels done earlier by departments such as Health, Forest and Wildlife, Motor Vehicles, Kerala State Electricity Board/Electrical Inspectorate, and Fire and Rescue Services. This would result in serious threat to the safety of schools, they said.

However, the KAT order was applicable only to the four applicants, officials said.