Instead of being applauded, a group of 60 volunteers, who took it on themselves to paint and clean a school run by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in Malleswaram, are now facing trouble from the local councillor and civic authorities.
A police complaint has been filed against some of them and the headmaster of the school has been forced to apologise to the BBMP for allowing the cleanliness drive.
The volunteers say trouble started because they did not inform Manjunath Raju, councillor of Kadu Malleshwara ward.
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He claimed to have opposed the initiative since there are plans to renovate parts of the building, which is in a dilapidated state. “If they paint the wall, the volunteers will oppose the renovation,” he claimed.
BBMP authorities asked the citizens to stop work on Friday. The end result is that several man-hours invested by the volunteers in removing garbage and repainting the school compound will come to naught. The worst part is that they have even been told to undo the work they have carried out, including the painting. The BBMP has an explanation. S.G. Raveendra, Special Commissioner (Estate/ Education/ Horticulture/ Welfare), said, “How can someone paint the school compound in yellow? This is not the standard colour of BBMP schools, which is why we have asked them to restore it to its original colour, which is cream.”
People allegedly close to the local councillor filed a complaint against the volunteers at the Vyalikaval police station; a non-cognizable offence was registered. Volunteers were questioned by the police who sought photographs of their work.
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Authorities do not seem to have taken into account that students of the school are thrilled with the clean-up drive and grateful to those who carried it out.
Nithin S., a class eight student of the school, said, “The compound colour and paintings make the school look lively. The garbage, which used to make the place stink, has gone.”