Coaching centre fire checks find blocked exits, faulty alarms

Raipur: Widening its ongoing crackdown on structurally unsafe educational institutes, the Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) and fire department conducted a fresh wave of surprise inspections across multiple city zones, exposing a continuous trend of missing fire audits and blocked emergency exits.The renewed regulatory drive, launched under the directives of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and monitored by the district administration, targeted several coaching centers across RMC’s Zones 1, 2, 3, and 7 to ensure compliance with mandatory life-safety measures.

During the civic audit in Zone 3, inspecting officials found glaring lapses at a leading coaching center in Gitanjali Nagar, which was operating completely without a fire safety system.

At a reputed institute in Anand Nagar, while basic firefighting equipment was installed, the management failed to produce a valid fire audit certificate and had dangerously blocked the emergency exit doors with furniture.Similarly, a CLAT coaching center in Shankar Nagar Sector-1 was cited for maintaining a poorly functioning lift system and keeping its emergency alarm switched off. The municipal authorities served formal notices to all three institute operators, demanding immediate rectification.

Simultaneously, joint administrative teams carried out surprise checks at a premier coaching center in Zone 1, as well as multiple coaching centers in Zone 2 and Zone 7. The inspecting officers issued strict on-site instructions to the management of these institutes to ensure absolute compliance with commercial building codes.The latest series of raids continues the civic administration’s massive safety audit from earlier this week, which issued strict seven-day ultimatums to top national coaching chains and local hubs, reinforcing the city’s zero-tolerance policy toward student safety.