All 16 private coaching centres surveyed in Alandi were found to be operating without registration, with the municipal inspection also identifying unauthorised structures and outstanding property-tax dues after eight students from the temple town died during a trip to Diveagar earlier this month.
The findings were reported after the Alandi Municipal Council conducted an inspection of coaching centres in the wake of the October 1 incident in Raigad district. The students, all from Std XI, were part of a group of 42 taken on a one-day outing organised by a private coaching institute in Alandi, around 25 kilometres from Pune.
According to the survey findings, every one of the 16 coaching centres examined lacked the required registration. The inspection also flagged buildings or portions of buildings being used without the necessary permissions, as well as unpaid property taxes. The institute linked to the Diveagar incident reportedly has property-tax dues of Rs 45,634 and faces questions over unauthorised construction.
Alandi Municipal Council chief officer Madhav Khandekar said notices would be issued to coaching centres and property owners operating without the required permissions. The establishments have been asked to obtain approvals within a stipulated period. Failure to do so could result in further action, according to the report.
The municipal findings have widened scrutiny beyond the circumstances of the student deaths to the regulatory status of coaching establishments operating in the temple town. Demands have been raised for a comprehensive audit covering legal permissions, fire-safety compliance, structural stability, emergency exits and staff preparedness.
The survey also highlights the administrative gap created when private coaching centres operate outside the formal school system. Such establishments may involve several overlapping responsibilities, including municipal registration, building permissions, property taxation, fire safety and education-related oversight. The report said activists had called for closer scrutiny of these centres and better coordination between civic and education authorities.
Residents have criticised authorities for failing to enforce applicable regulations before the fatal incident. The municipal action now places the immediate focus on whether the centres and property owners will secure the required approvals within the period set out in the notices.
The eight students died during the Diveagar outing, while the remaining members of the 42-student group were affected by the incident. The municipal council’s next stated step is to issue notices to the identified coaching centres and property owners, followed by action against establishments that do not obtain the necessary permissions within the stipulated period.
