HYDERABAD: Two-and-a-half years have passed since an overflowing Beas river in Himachal Pradesh had claimed the lives of 23 Hyderabad students and their tour guide. However, no action has been taken yet against the educational institution which was found to have flouted norms.
Following the incident at Thalout in Mandi District, Himachal Pradesh, as per preliminary inquiry report findings, the management of Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology was accused of violating norms by allowing students to go on an excursion when it was meant to be an industrial tour.
As per the norms set by Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTUH) to which the institute is affiliated, colleges should send students on industrial tours only after completion of their third year.
However, in this case, the students had just completed their second year.
When Express contacted JNTUH registrar N Yadaiah on the action taken against the college management, he maintained that a report on the case has been submitted to Telanagana State Council for Higher Education (TSCHE). The report was submitted to TSCHE under the guidance of JNTUH former registrar NV Ramana Rao in June 2014.
“In response to direction from G Jagadish Reddy, the then education minister for state, the university had produced its report on Beas tragedy few months later. That issue is now to be taken up by the TSCHE. The university had issued instructions to prevent any such occurrence in future,” he said.
“We are now in the process of streamlining academic process. We have prepared guidelines to students for their safety on our website,” he added.
However, no response was received from TSCHE chairman T Papi Reddy when contacted.
Meanwhile, parents of the deceased students still await government action.
The only relief the families of each victim were provided following the incident, was in the form of `20 lakh compensation on the order of Himachal Pradesh High Court, 19 months after the accident.