CUTTACK: Around 80 students were found sitting close to each other - many without masks - in a room at AR Creation coaching centre in Link Road when the enforcement squad of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) conducted a surprise raid at the private coaching centre on Thursday.
It was sealed by the CMC for violating Covid-19 safety norms and a show cause issued to the owner.
But this is not the lone case. In violation of state government’s order on stopping physical classes to prevent spread of Covid-19 among students, many private schools and coaching centres have been found operating in a clandestine manner across Cuttack.
Several such complaints have been filed at the district education office. While private schools have been accused of conducting physical classes in the name of doubt-clearing sessions by obtaining undertakings from parents and guardians, coaching centres continue to operate as usual throwing all Covid norms to the wind.
On January 10, the state government had ordered closure of physical classes in all schools, colleges and technical institutions other than medical and nursing colleges. Only doubt-clearing classes can be held. However, District Education Officer (DEO) Krushna Chandra Nayak said that doubt-clearing classes too have been banned in Cuttack in wake of the rapid surge in cases.
“My daughter who studies in Maa Saraswati Sishu Bidyamandir at Nuapatana in Mangalabag, was asked to give an undertaking for attending doubt-clearing classes. They are deliberately holding the physical classes because they cannot demand the entire tuition fees from parents in the case of online classes. They are playing with the lives of children for monetary gains”, said a resident of Jobra, requesting anonymity.
DEO Nayak said that he has received several such complaints and a team of officials would verify each of them and take necessary action. The CMC has no information on the number of private schools and coaching centres running in the city but sources claimed that the number would be above 500 as far as coaching centers are concerned.
Besides coaching centres and schools, there are tuitions that are being offered in batches by both in-service and retired faculty members at their houses. Such tuition classes are also attended by a large number of students without masks and social distancing.
Such congregations of students have the potential to spread the disease, said a health expert. “Covid numbers are exploding every day. Enforcement will be strengthened against such gatherings in the name of education”, said CMC Deputy Commissioner Abinash Rout.