Pre-schools mobilise opinion against BBMP notice

Bengaluru: Parents and pre-school associations have started an online petition to protest the civic body’s move to evict them from residential areas.

In a petition signed by nearly 700 people on Friday, the Indian Montessori Centre, Federation of Montessori Schools India and Karnataka Council for Pre-schools said that child care centres cannot be treated as commercial activities.

They argued that it is not viable to set up centres in commercial zones as children and parents will have to factor in long commutes. They denied that their centres are a ‘nuisance’ to neighbours.

Samhitha R., a parent, said that the move lacks rationale and there is a need for the civic body to listen to the concerns of parents before initiating such steps.

The civic agency has served notices to scores of pre-schools.

Pre-school owners are planing to submit petitions to the government explaining that parents and children would be put to hardship if they were to relocate.

However, BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad said there would be no rethinking and there is a need for pre-schools in residential areas to shut down based on zoning regulations. “However, we will consult the mayor to see if this process can be delayed till the end of this academic year,” he said.