Ahmedabad (Gujarat): In the aftermath of the TRP Game Zone fire incident in Rajkot, Gujarat, a statewide drive has been launched to crack down on institutions operating without fire safety certificates and building use permissions. As a result, over 400 schools across the state have been sealed, with the highest number of closures reported in Surat, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and Vadodara.

In Surat, the municipal corporation has offered a concession to schools with fire safety certificates but lacking building use permissions, allowing them to reopen. However, this concession has not been extended by the municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and Vadodara.

The president of the Gujarat State School Management Association, Bhaskar Patel, has demanded that the state government adopt a uniform policy, allowing schools with fire safety certificates but lacking building use permissions to be granted a two-month reprieve. The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board member, Dr. Priyavadan Korat, has also advocated for the government to prioritize the interests of children while making decisions.

In Ahmedabad, the municipal corporation has sealed 195 units, including 10 schools, in the past 14 days. Of these, 165 units lacked fire safety certificates, while 30 lacked building use permissions. The civic body had inspected 1,502 units, including 909 hospitals, 79 schools, 279 tuition classes and coaching centres, 53 shopping malls, 28 multiplexes, and 192 other buildings.