Schools, colleges in Hry, parts of Pb to remain shut tomorrow

In view of the prevailing tension, schools and colleges in Haryana and parts of Punjab will remain closed tomorrow tomorrow, senior officials said.

However, in Union Territory Chandigarh, the joint capital of the two states, schools and colleges will function normally.

"All educational institutions, including government and private schools, colleges and other institutions in the entire state, will remain closed tomorrow," Haryana's Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Ram Niwas, said in an official release.

Haryana is on a high alert after violence in Panchkula and Sirsa on Friday left 38 people dead and over 250 injured following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case.
 

The quantum of sentence in the case will be pronounced by the court at Rohtak tomorrow.

As a precautionary measure, the Punjab government also ordered closure of all educational institutions, including government and private schools and colleges besides technical institutions, in the 13 sensitive Malwa belt districts.

The decision was taken by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in view of the sensitivity of the matter and the heightened tension in the wake of the conviction of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, an official spokesperson said here today.

He said the Deputy Commissioners of all the 13 sensitive districts of the Malwa region--Sri Muktsar Sahib, Bathinda, Barnala, Mansa, Sangrur, Patiala, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Moga, Faridkot, Ludhiana, Mohali and Fatehgarh Sahib have been asked to announce that the educational institutions in their respective districts will remain closed.

However, in Chandigarh, all schools, colleges and other educational institutions, which had remained shut for the past few days owing to the tense situation, will function normally from August 28, an official release said today.