Precarious building awaits new premises

June 15, 2013 03:27 am | Updated 03:27 am IST - KOCHI:

Necessity is the mother of invention: Staff at the office of the Deputy Director of Collegiate Education clears files by torchlight after the KSEB snapped power to the dilapidated building. — Photo: H. Vibhu

Necessity is the mother of invention: Staff at the office of the Deputy Director of Collegiate Education clears files by torchlight after the KSEB snapped power to the dilapidated building. — Photo: H. Vibhu

It seems the fury of heavy rain has come as a blessing in disguise for the dilapidated office of the Deputy Director (DD) of Collegiate Education here.

Life turned miserable for nearly 40 employees in the DD office after the KSEB snapped power connection to it a week after the office of the Maharaja’s College hostel, functioning in the same building, collapsed when a tree fell over it.

The government has now placed a proposal to shift the damaged building as soon as possible. The office takes care of the salary of teachers in 33 colleges in Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Idukki.

A meeting convened on Friday by Varghese C. Abraham, the Deputy Director in-charge and Principal of Government Arts College, Tripunithura, decided to submit a request before the Principal Secretary, Higher Education and the Director of Collegiate Education, to shift the office to the Revenue Tower on Park Avenue. Prof. Abraham said five floors in the building were vacant.

K. Ajayakumar, IAS, Director of Collegiate Education, said he was yet to receive the proposal. Once the proposal is received it would be immediately approved considering the precarious condition of the building. Prof. Abraham said KSEB officials said restoring power to the DD office was unsafe, as the meter board located in the college hostel office was damaged in the accident. The Public Works Department, which had to carry out maintenance work, also refused to set up the meter saying the entire building was unfit for human habitation. M.S. Vishwambharan, former Deputy Director of Collegiate Education, said the proposal to shift the office was pending for months. The only solution was to shift the office to a better location, he said.

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