Schools to be held responsible if its bus driver found drunk: Haryana Education Minister

Rewari (Haryana) [India], April 11 (ANI): Following the school bus accident in Haryana's Mahendragarh, State Education Minister Seema Trikha on Thursday said that a show cause notice has been issued to the school and all private schools have to provide an affidavit that their vehicles function according to transport rules and norms.
Education Minister Trikha told ANI, "I want to tell the whole state that today a show cause notice has been issued to the school and apart from that, we have taken self-affidavits from the private schools. Second, they have to provide an affidavit of the transportation vehicle saying that their vehicles functioned according to the transport rules and norms, third, whoever is driving their vehicles, if they are found drunk, then they (schools) will hold the responsibility."
Trikha further asserted that in the Mahendragarh bus accident case, an FIR will be registered against the driver as well as the school principal and owner.
Earlier in the day, RTA Assistant Secretary Pradeep Kumar was suspended with immediate effect on Thursday after five students were killed and 15 others were injured in a school bus accident.
As per an official order issued by the Haryana government, Pardeep has been placed under suspension with immediate effect as he failed to check vehicles plying on the road without valid documents.
Meanwhile, the Additional Transport Commissioner (Road Safety) directed officials to conduct a detailed enquiry and submit a report pointing out the reasons for mishaps and the name of the concerned officer/officials of the office of DTO-cum-Secretary, RTA, Mahendragarh at Narnaul or other people responsible for dereliction of their duties within three days after physically visiting the place.
The police earlier said that the preliminary investigation suggested that the driver was driving the bus under the influence of alcohol.
"Upon receiving the information of the incident, we reached the spot. The driver is suspected to be intoxicated. Further investigation into the matter is underway," Mahendragarh Station House Officer (SHO) Uday Bhan said. (ANI)