Almost a century old aided UP School Narikkuni was the centre of a row on Friday, with local people preventing an attempt to demolish a part of the school building. They alleged that vested interests were behind the move.
The school that once had around 1,300 students, has only 150 students at present. In place of 27 divisions a couple of decades ago, there are only seven divisions now, one each for every standard. According to local residents, the present scenario is the result of carelessness on the part of the school management. They said the demolition of a part of the building was the first step towards the eventual closure of the school. The management had planned to demolish as many as nine classrooms, all in one building, which was out of use for a long time.
However, it could demolish only six, thanks to the intervention of local people. The Assistant Education Officer (AEO), who visited the school, said he had not granted the mandatory permission for the demolition of the building.
Management’s versionHowever, the management says the building was demolished for reconstruction, as it was in a dilapidated state. The Executive Engineer in the panchayat had deemed the building unfit, and that it posed a threat to the lives of students. Parts of the building were renovated earlier on various occasions.
However, local residents maintained the building was being demolished to create a way to a nearby 30-cent plot that belonged to the school manager. The school compound is 1 acre in area and is in the heart of Narikkuni town, where the market value of land is close to Rs.15 lakh a cent, a source said.
