Minister suspends 2 officials

They did not inform higher-ups of repeated demolition notices and rejection of appeal in court

Karnataka : Bengaluru , 05/07/2016 . Muslim children breaking fast when The land on which four schools – Government Model Primary School (Kannada medium, Urdu medium and Tamil medium) and Government High School, and the Government Junior Composite College  stand at New Sawar Line, Matadahalli, allegedly belongs to the Army, according to a notice issued to the institutions by the Estate Office Defence Personnel came to acquire the land today and Children and parents protested against it by staying in the premises in Bengaluru on July 05, 2016 . Photo : K. Bhagya Prakash.

After a lengthy legal battle at the Military Estate Officer court, which went against them, the threat of four government schools being razed became real. Why then was the Education Department surprised when army offices landed at J.C. Nagar on Tuesday to demolish the schools.

Army officials alleged laxity on the part of the department. They told angry parents and teachers: “Repeated notices have been given to the department since the case reached the estate officer’s court in 2013. Clearly these officials did not take the notices seriously.”

When the Government Junior College appealed against the demolition order in the Principal City Civil and Sessions Court on June 27, the judge took the department to task. “(the) appellant has not approached the court with clean hands and he has suppressed facts…though the appellant has challenged the order…He has not produced the entire order.”

The appeal was rejected allowing the army to proceed with the demolition. Senior officials in the department claimed that this was not brought to the notice of higher-ups or the State government.

Relief till Thursday

Commissioner for Public Instruction Sowjanya told The Hindu that Chief Secretary Aravind Jadhav had sought temporary relief from defence authorities. A meeting has been scheduled for Thursday.

Minister for Education Tanveer Sait stressed on a ‘compromise’ but the army has rejected the State government’s offer of alternative land in Koramangala. Armed forces personnel were not available for comment.

Departmental enquiry ordered

Mr. Sait ordered suspension of Block Education Officer (North) V. Ramesh and Deputy Director of Public Instruction (North) H.C. Manjunath for their ‘failure to communicate with the government and for dereliction of duty’. He also ordered a departmental inquiry.