Educational institutions go in panic mode too
Authorities ask hostel borders to vacate premises immediately
Srinagar: Amid the chaos and confusion post government advisory issued for Yatris and tourists to cut short their stay in Kashmir, authorities have put the students community in dilemma over its decision to evacuate non-local students from NIT Srinagar.
On Saturay, the state administration pressed around 50 SRTC buses to ferry NIT non local hostel boarders to Jammu wherefrom they all went back to their respective homes.
An official at National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar said the decision to vacate the hostels was taken on the directions of MHRD which asked the NIT administration to ensure safety of students enrolled at the institute.
“We received verbal direction from state as well MHRD to evacuate hostel boarders without any delay. We just implemented the directions to avoid any untoward incident. We didn’t want to take any risk,” the official said, wishing anonymity.
Besides NIT Srinagar, the authorities have also closed GMC Srinagar for three days and hostels boarders have been asked to vacate their hostels without any delay.
“It is all chaos, authorities are giving only verbal directions and want to strictly get that implemented as well,” an official said.
Also, the principal of Kashmir Government Polytechnic College Gogji Bagh closed the hostel for its students on Saturday till further orders.
“The students are informed that no facility will be provided at the hostel for any student till further orders,” reads a notification issued by the principal of the polytechnic college.
Meanwhile, the authorities have suspended the class work for all courses at NIT indefinitely. “The situation is frightening, the students are evacuated and nobody is telling us why they are vacating hostels,” said a NIT student.
The students said the state administration should come clear on the situation in order to avoid the distraction of the students who are appearing in their university exams.
“The authorities are tight lipped, there are no written orders but everything is being done on basis of verbal orders which is confusing everybody,” an official said wishing not to be named.
However, district magistrate Srinagar Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said no instructions were given to shut the institute.
“In wake of unstoppable rumours, heads of all institutions were advised in the day to remain careful. No advise/instructions for shutting down any institution. This NIT notice is apparently a miscommunication,” Choudhary said on Twitter.
“We notify when we issue closure order. Our 900+ schools/KVs are open today. Objected to NIT claim of Dist Adm directions to close instt. Citing SM triggered panic among parents they sought transportation help for limited numbers. We assured full security in campus too. That’s all (sic),” he added.
KV Correspondent
