Neyaz Elahi
Srinagar, Nov 28, KNT: Amid concerns over new Covid-19 variant, government of Jammu and Kashmir is yet to clear its stand about the fate of coaching industry which runs into millions in Valley, especially in Srinagar city.
During this peak season, parents are admitting their kids in different coaching centres, paying hefty sums but operators of these centres are still unsure whether government will allow them to operate offline or not.
“You don’t know when government will impose Covid related lockdown. We are unsure about it while there are reports that Covid-19 cases are on rise. The imposition of lockdown will badly hit coaching centres,” an owner of a reputed coaching centre told news agency Kashmir News Trust.
Owner of another reputed coaching centre said that he doesn’t want to incur losses and is keen to know about the stand of the government with regard to lockdown. “Its not question of collecting fee from parents only but I have to take care of the building rent, the handsome salaries that I am supposed to pay to the faculty. In case of lockdown, not only I have to return half of the fee to the students, but have to also pay building rent and salary to the faculty,” he said.
He added that it is not a one-sided affair as people believe that coaching centres only earn money. “The other side of the story is that coaching centre owners will have to pay from their own pockets in case there will be lockdown.”
One of the students who has taken admission in one of the Srinagar Coaching Centres told KNT that he deposited fee for ‘off-line’ coaching. “I don’t know what will happen but the said Coaching Centre has been assuring students that their time and money will be compensated in case of any eventuality,” he said.
Administrator of another Coaching Institute said that he doesn’t think there is any difference between online and offline classes. “We have procured costly software for online classes last year when there was a lockdown but still in case of lockdown, we give 20% fee waiver to students,” he said.
An official said that let us see how situation unfolds. “We don’t want students should suffer and will certainly come up with an effective plan in case there is Covid related lockdown,” he said. (KNT)
