Kerala CM issues directions to make schools safe, drug free before reopening

With the new academic year scheduled to begin on June 3 in Kerala schools, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday issued a slew of directions, which included anti-drug activities, to ensure educational institutions were safe for students when they reopen.

Vijayan at a high-level meeting, also attended by ministers V Sivankutty, R Bindu, M B Rajesh, K Rajan and P Rajeev, ordered that the preparations should be completed in a timely manner, a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.

Ensuring safety of the school premises by carrying out requisite repairs, obtaining fitness certificates for the buildings, removing trees, boards, electric posts, power cables and hoardings that may pose a danger to students and cleaning the school campus were some of the directions issued by the CM, according to the statement.

The CM further directed that schools need to ensure that use and sale of intoxicating substances does not take place on their premises and the Excise department was ordered to carry out regular inspections of shops around educational institutions, the statement said.

Regular district-level public vigilance committee meetings to evaluate the anti-drug activities, strengthening awareness and enforcement measures as well as cooperation of children, parents and teachers should be ensured to make educational institutions free of narcotics, the CM said.

The other anti-drug activities that were discussed in the meeting were, holding a children's parliament on June 26 on the occasion of Anti Narcotics Day, delivery of the CM's anti-drug message to homes on November 1, carrying out anti-drug seminars on December 10 and conducting class councils on January 30, 2025, to review all these activities, the CMO statement said.

Besides that, all government, semi-government, public sector and co-operative institutions should put up anti-drug posters without any delay, the CM directed, according to the statement.