Debate in the Parliament about the fire in the Student Residences

Current Question of the KKE on the fire that broke out in the 3rd Building of the Student Residences of the University of Ioannina in the early hours of Wednesday, April 3 was discussed in the Parliament.

More specifically, KKE MP Nikos Exarchos emphasized that the students themselves, who were in their rooms, complained that the alarm did not work, there was no plan to evacuate the building and the fire safety systems did not work in time, but also that inside in the flames and smoke alone they informed each other to evacuate the building and get everyone out safely.

Furthermore, N. Exarchos noted that material damage has been caused to the rooms, making several of them uninhabitable and that after pressure from the boarders themselves and their associations to the Rectorate of the University of Ioannina, the boarders of the 3rd building were moved to other rooms, but many of which are in poor condition. The rooms of the burned building were cleaned by the boarders themselves and a minimal cleaning staff, without the necessary assistance of additional cleaning staff.

Therefore, he added, the building and corridors are not completely clean, they have not been disinfected and the smell of burning persists. At the same time, personal items, such as furniture, books, clothing, etc., have been destroyed. of boarding students. However, the official recording of the damages, in order to be compensated for them, has not yet progressed, under the responsibility of the government and the Ministry of Education.

He pointed out that the government and the ministry are responsible, since there is no self-evident fire safety and fire protection plan for the buildings – which are in fact in the green – and there is of course the perennial and huge understaffing of the necessary services for the – even – safe stay of the boarders in the shelters.

He also emphasized that it is indicative that the Association of Central Students of PI, the Student Associations and employees of the Technical Service of the University repeatedly warned and demanded measures to upgrade the services and the buildings themselves, highlighting that the situation is dangerous, but also that in fact, it is infuriating that for accommodation in these residences of the public University it is required to pay a monthly tax of 40 euros!

N. Exarchos, at this point, asked the government what measures it intends to take, in order to complete immediately and under the responsibility of the state the necessary control, cleaning and restoration work in the 3rd building of the student residences of the P.I. and that the necessary compensation of the boarding school students, whose personal belongings were destroyed, be recorded immediately and proceed, and what measures he intends to take for recruitment, under the responsibility of the state and without the involvement of private, permanent and adequate staff in the technical services and the cleanliness of the PI, in order to immediately start the construction of new buildings for student residences in Ioannina based on the needs and for the abolition of the unacceptable tax of 40 euros.

Deputy Minister of Education Zeta Makri, responding to the KKE’s Current Question, argued that the rector of the University of Ioannina conveyed a different picture of this “unpleasant incident”, citing a series of actions taken to deal with it, the safe removal of students and of the female students, the recording of the damages and the restoration.

Of course, Z. Makri, in an attempt to disclaim any governmental responsibility for paying the bill for the fire, did not fail to invoke the self-government of the Universities, saying that “the regulation of organizational and operational issues in each HEI is the sole responsibility of the institution ” and adding, that the organization and operation of the Student Centers belongs to the competent bodies of each HEI, while the financial management in INEDIVIM “supervised by the Ministry of Education”.

N. Exarchos during his retrial recalled a previous Topical Question of the Party regarding the serious staff shortages at the University of Ioannina, pointing out that the Maintenance Department operates with one employee, while there is no Security Technician. He also added that many rooms in the residences remain empty for a long time due to damage, with the work being done “within the framework of financial possibilities”.

The KKE member of parliament underlined that on the night of the fire, the alarm and fire extinguishers did not work, the fire extinguishing system was activated after two hours, when the fire brigade was already on the scene, while his reference to the student who was woken up by the fire brigade was typical. as well as in the solidarity of students among themselves.

Finally, he demanded that the construction of new modern student residences be launched immediately, “because in today’s era there are possibilities for male and female students to live in modern human student residences”.