Important files burnt in fire at directorate of secondary education in Prayagraj
A fire in the Uttar Pradesh Directorate of Secondary Education building destroyed hundreds of files on aided schools, likely due to a short circuit.
Several hundred files related to aided schools were reduced to ashes in a massive fire that broke out in two important sections of the Uttar Pradesh Directorate of Secondary Education building in Prayagraj on Sunday morning. No casualty was reported in the incident.
According to chief fire officer, Prayagraj, RK Pandey, prima facie the cause of the incident seems to be electrical short-circuit. Being a Sunday, no one was present in the building at the time of the incident.
The fire, which broke out in room number 14 and 15 on the ground floor of the directorate, was brought under control after three hours of struggle by firemen through four fire tenders.
The two rooms are said to have several hundred files pertaining to registration of aided schools, appointments in aided schools, transfer of teachers of aided schools, details of funds allocated to aided schools, etc. All the files have been completely burnt.
On receiving information, senior officials of the secondary education department and several teams of the fire brigade rushed to the spot. Prima facie, the possibility of a short circuit is being expressed as the reason for the mishap.
Additional director (Secondary) Surendra Tiwari has constituted a committee to probe the matter. Written information has been tendered by deputy director, Secondary Education, Prayagraj, Anurag Srivastava to inspector, Civil Lines police station about the incident.
The letters to the police stated that the security guard of directorate of education, Uttar Pradesh, Prayagraj was the first to inform about the fire in the main building of the office at around 8 am.
It further stated that prima facie, the fire seems to have been caused by a short circuit. A departmental high-level committee has been formed to investigate all aspects of the incident. The police department has also been requested to initiate further necessary action in this regard.
Sources claimed that the fire destroyed those sections where extremely sensitive files related to aided schools were kept. All the files have been completely burnt to ashes.
Sources further expressed their apprehension about the timing of the incident as investigations were on about several appointments made in these aided schools besides credentials of many aided schools, pertaining to which complaints of gross irregularities had been allegedly received by the department recently.
