Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, April 5
Students and directors of the coaching institutes at Sasaram, the district headquarters of Rohtas, on Monday resorted to violence and arson at the District collectorate protesting against closure of the educational institutes as a preventive measure to contain the spread of Coronavirus.
District Magistrate Dharmendra Kumar and SP Ashish Bharti in a joint statement alleged the students were provoked by the directors of the coaching institutes and they attacked the office of DM, post office and residential colonies at Gorakashni. The two officers of Rohtas,150 kms west from Patna claimed large-scale arson also took place in which both government and private property have been damaged.
DM and SP said the students and their teachers attacked the policemen too. Officer-in-charge of Town police station Kamkhaya Narain Singh and two others who were injured have been admitted to the hospital. They said in view of the second wave of Corona attack, the government has ordered closure of all educational institutions, including coaching institutes as preventive measures. They warned directors of the institutes who led the mob of students would be prosecuted. Police have so far arrested 16 protestors.
Students regretted in view of the lock down which started last year, coaching institutes remained closed for more than 260 days, but they had to pay tuition fees regularly. Due to lock down, they could not appear at the competitive examinations.
Students in 45 coaching institutes of industrial town at Dehri On Sone too joined the agitation, but they remained peaceful. Students from adjoining towns of Aurangabad, Dalmiyanagar and Nauhatta attend the coaching institutes.
Meanwhile, in Patna, 105 areas have been declared as containment zones as 500 more new Corona positive cases were reported.
Due to panic over reappearance of Corona, both Covaxin and Covishield vaccines are in short supply at the vaccination centres in different parts of the state. Due to overcrowding of the people coming for vaccination, social distancing was not maintained in the Vaccine centres.
At the Municipal Corporation office at Kankarbagh in the heart of the city, vaccines were in short supply and many had to return disappointed on Monday. The senior citizens in the queue were asked to come again as there was a shortage of Vaccine, both for first and second doses.
