Tribune India: Chandigarh: Wednesday, 17 May 2023.
While pointing out “negligence” on part of the UT Engineering Department, the one-member committee constituted by the UT Administration to probe the snapping of a heritage tree at Carmel Convent School, Sector 9, on July 8 last year, which left a schoolgirl dead, had recommended Rs 1 crore in compensation for the victim’s family, a query under the RTI Act has revealed. As many as 18 students and a school employee had suffered injuries in the incident.
The panel’s fact-finding report, given to the UT Administrator in February, had further recommended that the department should pay Rs 50 lakh in compensation to another student who lost her arm. The administration was advised to bear the expenses incurred by the family on transplants or towards any other treatment available in the country or abroad, as and when such surgeries were carried out.
Further, it was recommended the department bore the entire treatment expenses of the school employee, Sheela. Considering her efforts in saving precious lives of students, a regular suitable job as per her qualification be also offered to her, the report had said. The full inquiry report has now come to light following an RTI reply filed by activist RK Garg, a resident of Sector 27.
Soon after the incident, the administration had given a financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh to the deceased girl’s family, Rs 10 lakh to those critically injured and Rs 1 lakh each to students with minor injuries.
In July last year, the administration had constituted the inquiry committee headed by Justice Jitendra Chauhan (retd), a former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to ascertain the facts and fix responsibility for the incident.
Six months after the incident, the panel submitted its report to the UT Administrator in February this year, blaming the department for negligence and suggesting remedial measures. However, the administration is yet to announce any relief as recommended by the report.
The inquiry report had stated: “.... school authorities cannot be held guilty of any negligence or cannot be termed as facilitator for the occurrence... once the age of the tree had been found to be over 250 years, which as per the literature and the report of the experts cannot be said to be ripe, it essentially became the victim of the disease which remained unattended by the custodian for want of training and knowledge and on account of negligence by the authorities”.
“....the tree had been afflicted by a fungal infection and to infer the same would be impossible by an untrained eye. This tragedy has happened due to the negligence of the Engineering Department, Chandigarh, as the officials did not visit the spot and did not device a specific protocol to keep such trees in good health and to accord specialised treatment...,” it had pointed out.
“....it emerges the absence of regular visits by the experts in the discipline to the school premises and not imparting the necessary training is the primary cause for the collapse of the tree...if the concerned department, i.e. the Engineering Department had remained vigilant, such a tragedy would not have taken place,” it had noted.
What report said
Entire report not shared by Admn
The UT Administration should have made entire report public. They didn’t share recommendation of Rs 1 cr relief to victim. There should be transparency. It took a lot of effort to get the report under the RTI. — RK Garg, activist
While pointing out “negligence” on part of the UT Engineering Department, the one-member committee constituted by the UT Administration to probe the snapping of a heritage tree at Carmel Convent School, Sector 9, on July 8 last year, which left a schoolgirl dead, had recommended Rs 1 crore in compensation for the victim’s family, a query under the RTI Act has revealed. As many as 18 students and a school employee had suffered injuries in the incident.
The panel’s fact-finding report, given to the UT Administrator in February, had further recommended that the department should pay Rs 50 lakh in compensation to another student who lost her arm. The administration was advised to bear the expenses incurred by the family on transplants or towards any other treatment available in the country or abroad, as and when such surgeries were carried out.
Further, it was recommended the department bore the entire treatment expenses of the school employee, Sheela. Considering her efforts in saving precious lives of students, a regular suitable job as per her qualification be also offered to her, the report had said. The full inquiry report has now come to light following an RTI reply filed by activist RK Garg, a resident of Sector 27.
Soon after the incident, the administration had given a financial assistance of Rs 20 lakh to the deceased girl’s family, Rs 10 lakh to those critically injured and Rs 1 lakh each to students with minor injuries.
In July last year, the administration had constituted the inquiry committee headed by Justice Jitendra Chauhan (retd), a former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to ascertain the facts and fix responsibility for the incident.
Six months after the incident, the panel submitted its report to the UT Administrator in February this year, blaming the department for negligence and suggesting remedial measures. However, the administration is yet to announce any relief as recommended by the report.
The inquiry report had stated: “.... school authorities cannot be held guilty of any negligence or cannot be termed as facilitator for the occurrence... once the age of the tree had been found to be over 250 years, which as per the literature and the report of the experts cannot be said to be ripe, it essentially became the victim of the disease which remained unattended by the custodian for want of training and knowledge and on account of negligence by the authorities”.
“....the tree had been afflicted by a fungal infection and to infer the same would be impossible by an untrained eye. This tragedy has happened due to the negligence of the Engineering Department, Chandigarh, as the officials did not visit the spot and did not device a specific protocol to keep such trees in good health and to accord specialised treatment...,” it had pointed out.
“....it emerges the absence of regular visits by the experts in the discipline to the school premises and not imparting the necessary training is the primary cause for the collapse of the tree...if the concerned department, i.e. the Engineering Department had remained vigilant, such a tragedy would not have taken place,” it had noted.
What report said
- Provide Rs 1 crore in compensation to kin of girl killed in tragedy
- Give Rs 50L relief to student who lost her arm; bear treatment expenses
- Foot school staffer’s treatment bill; give regular job as per qualification
- Rs 20L to deceased girl’s family
- Rs 10L to critically injured
- Rs 1L to students with minor injuries
Entire report not shared by Admn
The UT Administration should have made entire report public. They didn’t share recommendation of Rs 1 cr relief to victim. There should be transparency. It took a lot of effort to get the report under the RTI. — RK Garg, activist
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