BENGALURU: Several pre-schools in residential areas have been told by the BBMP to close down in a week or reply to notices for operating in residential areas without necessary licences.
The move has caused anxiety among parents as well as pre-school owners who recently registered with the Department of Primary and Secondary Education. They are questioning the need for dual licensing.
A senior Education Department official said they would ask the BBMP if pre-schools need a trade licence.
Kavya S., whose daughter attends a pre-school in Sahakara Nagar, “We chose pre-schools based on proximity to our homes. There are over a dozen pre-schools in our locality. Is the BBMP going to shut all of them?”
Pruthvi Banwasi, secretary, Karnataka Council for Preschools Association, said, “We hope that the two departments sort out this issue amicably and not hamper the kids,” he said.
BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad said that pre-schools are essentially commercial establishments. “The notices were served as part of a citywide drive against commercial establishments operating in residential areas, which is prohibited as per zoning regulations. There have been several complaints from residents that pre-schools are noisy,” he said.
