Kalaburagi, 3 Feb

A portion of the roof of the Prabuddha Academy building in Kalaburagi, which was recently inaugurated by Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge, collapsed on Monday.

A girl student narrowly escaped injury in the incident.

The academy had been inaugurated in January by Priyank, who formally launched the competitive examination coaching centre.

The Rs 29.52 crore centre’s refreshment room’s roof caved in. The fact that the structure has shown signs of collapse just a month after inauguration has triggered outrage.

Responding to the incident, Preeti Doddamani, Joint Director of the Social Welfare Department and also the in-charge of the training centre, stated, “We have informed the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited, the contractor responsible for constructing the building.”

Social activist MS Patil Nariboli urged the district-in-charge Minister and the Deputy Commissioner to take appropriate action against the contractor.

AEE Saurabh Bhiman, who was serving as the in-charge Executive Engineer of Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited, was suspended on Monday night.

Speaking to the media in the city on Tuesday, Priyank said that the issue has caused embarrassment.

The academy was promoted as a modern learning centre with digital resources, mentoring rooms and advanced study infrastructure.

It was presented as a major support system for talented students from economically weaker backgrounds seeking competitive exam preparation and aimed to provide free UPSC and KPSC coaching for 500 students from Kalyan, Karnataka.