JOIN USStudents bid to save school goes in vain in city
The Government Lower Primary School being run in the dilapidated building, since post-independence era, was cleared of all its belongings, following a court order. The locals led by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Praveen Shetty faction) City Unit President Madesh, Mysore Kannada Vedike President Balakrishna and others, made a futile bid to refrain the building owner, accompanied by a posse of police personnel attached to NR Police Station from taking the building into his (owner) possession. Earlier, the agitators had even summoned students nearby to strengthen their act, but to no avail. The school was yet to reopen, as it is closed for summer vacation.
The history
M F Jamshed told Deccan Herald, his grandfather late Haji M R Mohammed Peer had given the two-storeyed building on rent to the government, in 1948. A spacious room in the ground floor and three others in the first floor were the only classrooms, with school admitting students from first to fifth standard.
The rent fixed then was ` 15 per month, that was increased up to ` 35. The structure that has completed six decades, is too weak to withstand rain and gale, with cracks developed at places. Sensing possible danger, his father M R Abdul Wajeed knocked on the doors of the court four years ago, seeking its vacation. Chief Secretary to the government, principal secretary, Department of Education, Commissioner, DDPI, DC, BEO and also head master of the school were made parties. “If anything untoward happens, we are unable to compensate lives”, Jamshed added. The court in its order dated 2010, had ordered to vacate the premises within two months. Since then, the government stopped paying rent. Recently, the court passed an order to take the property into possession.
Accordingly, when the court officers went to the school to unlock, the people nearby were not ready to accept that the school will be a passe. Instead, they took on the officers and cops, and picked up a wordy duel. Block Education Officer (BEO) North, Karigowda who arrived at the spot, assured to give alternate place at schools nearby.
However, the cops later succeeded in facilitating the party take his property into his hold.
But, it could not stop parents, especially womenfolk who had been mute spectators to the whole drama, from venting their anger against the building owner. The BEO told this paper that a decision will be taken at a meeting of parents and local leaders convened at his office, on May 27. The DDPI will preside over the meeting. The officer said that the school has 93 students. The department has two schools in mind for alternate facility- one at Tilak Nagar and another at Kailaspuram. The school at Tilak Nagar has only 17 students.