Do not hold I-Day functions, educational institutes in East Singhbhum told

JAMSHEDPUR: The East Singhbhum district administration has decided not to hold any public function for Independence Day celebrations and directed social organisations and educational institutes not to organise any event on the occasion. Further, institutes cannot ask their students to take part in the functions or distribute edibles.

As per the directives of the Union government, the district will hold one I-Day function under the DDC and live stream the event on Facebook. Various online competitions for students, like painting, will be held on the occasion and the winners will be felicitated virtually, the officials said, adding that frontline Covid workers will also be honoured on the day.

A decision in this regard was taken during a meeting chaired by DC Suraj Kumar which was attended by SSP M Tamilvanan and other officials on Wednesday.

Officials on Thursday said there is a ban on taking out any kind of rally or procession in the district on August 15 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the increasing number of infected cases .

As of Thursday morning, East Singhbum had 2,492 total cases of which 1,648 are active, 793 have recovered and 51 persons have died from the disease. The district has recorded a recovery rate of 38.1% and a mortality rate of 2%.

The officials said clear instructions have been given to schools and colleges not to organise I-Day functions and only a few members of the management committees can take part in flag-hoisting functions and maintain social distancing and other virus protocols during the event.

Meanwhile, students and parents in the Steel City have expressed concern over the gathering at various college premises for intermediate admissions.

Sources said students are gathering in large numbers at Jamshedpur Worker's College and Graduate College to collect admission forms without following the protocols.

A student body, AIDSO, has urged the district administration to intervene into the matter immediately to prevent the gatherings. AIDSO Mahanagar head Soni Sengupta said if the colleges do not stop the admission process, they will start protests.

Sengupta further said all admission or examination processes which require students to come to the institutes should be banned.