(MOREPIC1) Abohar (Face2News):
Like in previous years, December has seen several accidents due to fog, yet the government remains unmoved. A few years ago, several teachers lost their lives in an accident on the Fazilka-Jalalabad road. This time, a couple on election duty lost their lives near Kotkapura when their car skidded, leaving their family helpless.
Meanwhile, in the Abohar area, dozens of students narrowly escaped injury when a school van collided with a bus between Panjawa and Tootwala. However, the government is not taking notice of these numerous accidents.
NGOs were hoping that, in light of the recent accidents, school and college timings would be changed but the government chose to combine the pre-scheduled Christmas holidays with the winter break, attempting to gain false praise.
Nar Seva Narayan Seva Samiti and others have expressed surprise that despite predictions of bad weather, the government is focused on ensuring the success of the parent-teacher meeting on December 20th at all costs. Not only that, but plans to take students on excursions to Kapurthala and other distant areas have not been cancelled.
The buses for these trips normally depart at 6 AM when the fog is at its thickest, and even when the buses return at 10-11 PM, visibility will be extremely poor. After dropping the children off in their villages, the teachers will likely reach their homes well past midnight. Social service organizations say that the government is only concerned with its “Shiksha Kranti” and seems to have little regard for people's lives.
