Mumbai, Aug 25: Maharashtra’s Education Minister, Deepak Kesarkar, announced the suspension of education officers from Mumbai and Thane in response to the recent sexual assault of two minor girls by a sanitation worker at a school in Badlapur, reported The Indian Express.
The suspended officials are Balasaheb Rakshe, Education Officer of Thane, and Rajesh Kankal, Education Officer of Mumbai. Minister Kesarkar cited negligence and delayed reporting as the primary reasons for Rakshe’s suspension, stating that timely reporting could have facilitated quicker action against the perpetrators.
Rajesh Kankal’s suspension was attributed to the failure to install CCTV cameras across Mumbai’s civic schools, a project that has seen little progress over the past two years despite continuous monitoring and directives from the education department. Kesarkar emphasized that the government would not tolerate such lapses, especially when student safety is at stake.
“Our administration is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of students. Any negligence in adhering to safety protocols and swift reporting of incidents will be dealt with strictly,” Kesarkar told reporters during a press briefing.
In response to the suspensions, officials from the education department have pledged to provide a detailed explanation and have requested an additional month to complete the installation of approximately 2,800 CCTV cameras across 123 civic schools in Mumbai. An official stated, “We are actively working to expedite the installation process and will submit a comprehensive timeline outlining the project’s completion.”
The assault incident in Badlapur has sparked widespread concern and calls for enhanced security measures in educational institutions throughout the state. Authorities are under increased pressure to implement robust safety protocols to prevent such incidents in the future and restore public confidence in the education system.
The Maharashtra government has reiterated its commitment to student safety and has assured that stringent actions will continue to be taken against any form of negligence or misconduct within educational establishments.
