Student electrocuted in Kollam: Govt sacks management over negligence
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Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Education Department has dismissed the management of a government-aided school in Kollam district following the tragic electrocution of a 13-year-old student. Education Minister V. Sivankutty announced the decision on Saturday, holding the school authorities accountable for the preventable incident.
The victim, Mithun, a Class 8 student at Thevelakkara Boys School, came in contact with a live electric wire on July 17 while trying to retrieve his footwear from the top of a shed. The incident occurred just before school hours and resulted in his death on the spot.
“We immediately suspended the headmistress. After a detailed inquiry, we have decided to dismiss the entire school management with immediate effect,” said Minister Sivankutty. “A senior education officer from the district will now oversee the functioning of the school. Several safety measures need to be implemented, and the financial responsibility for these improvements lies with the former management.”
He further stated, “Mithun was one of our sons. His death is a grave reminder to all schools that negligence will invite strict consequences.”
Accepting the decision, school manager Tulasidharan Pillai said, “We acknowledge the government's move. Mithun's family has suffered an irreparable loss. Compared to that, losing this post is nothing.” However, he also remarked that the overhead power line had existed during the tenure of the previous headmaster, a senior Congress leader. “Why didn’t he act? The Congress and UDF are using this tragedy for political gain ahead of the elections,” Pillai alleged.
Mithun’s father works as a mason in Kerala, while his mother is employed as a domestic help in Kuwait. The state government has provided the grieving family with a financial aid of ₹5 lakh.
With IANS inputs
