GK school faces inquiry for fuel tank in basement

NEW DELHI: An underground fuel tank was found in the basement of a prominent private school in Greater Kailash-II, prompting deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia to order an FIR against it for “endangering” the safety of students. Mr Sisodia said the students were sitting on a “ticking bomb”. There was no immediate reaction from the school management.

Addressing a press conference at his official residence here, the deputy chief minister said a team led by a local sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) raided the premises of the K.R. Mangalam School’s GK-II branch on April 20 following parents’ complaints and found that the school was illegally storing petrol and diesel in the fuel tank.

Mr Sisodia, also the education minister, said 2,500 litres of diesel was seized from the fuel tank which was filled up with sand. Several parents came to him on April 16 and complained about a “number of irregularities” on part of the school, including existence of underground fuel tank, he added.

“I then asked the chief secretary to send a team of SDM, Delhi Jal Board, fire department, police and concerned departments to the school. Our officers found a fuel tank in the basement of the school building besides illegal water borewell on the premises. Students were sitting on a ticking bomb in this school,” he said.