New Delhi: Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Monday conducted a comprehensive inspection of the Narela Assembly Constituency, accompanied by local MLA, Director of Education, and senior officials from concerned departments. The visit aimed to review key education and infrastructure projects and address long-pending civic issues. The inspection began at the Narela Fire Station, which has remained non-functional for several years. Sood directed officials to “clean the premises, complete pending construction work, and make the fire station operational at the earliest.” Noting access issues in the crowded area, he ordered that both a large and small fire engine be stationed, but stressed, “A large vehicle might not be able to access the area in case of an emergency due to the narrow marketplace.” The Minister then visited Bankner village to assess land allocated for a government school. Local residents raised concerns that the site was unsuitable, citing its distance, 4 km from Swatantra Nagar, waterlogging during monsoons, and poor road connectivity. Sood criticized the earlier decision, stating, “The land selection seems to have been done to appease certain interests, ignoring the voices of local residents.”
Taking immediate action, he instructed the Director of Education to cancel the proposed site and identify a more accessible location. “A school will be built in a suitable location before the end of this government’s term,” he assured villagers. Sood also reviewed land for the expansion of Swami Shraddhanand College. He directed the college to request boundary wall construction and other works through the university’s Vice Chancellor and suggested, “A women’s college should be established under Swami Shraddhanand College at the proposed site.” The visit concluded at Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex, where Sood asked officials to fix existing issues “so the facility can be used to its full potential.”