Tension prevailed in Katcha Toba colony on Saturday when local residents clashed with education department officials over the construction of a wall around the school premises that blocked the way to some of the residences. The school authorities tried to get the wall raised in the presence of police and duty magistrate, but the residents forced them to withdraw.
Block primary education officer Narinder Singh and headmaster Ramesh Chander of government primary school Katcha Toba claimed that the land where the wall was to come up, belonged to the education department as the opposite party had lost the case in the Supreme Court in September 2012. However, the residents claimed said that only some part of the land, was left to the government by the owners, and that too many years ago.
Residents also that they had filed a complaint in the court of judicial magistrate who had issued a status quo on February 28 and fixed March 7 for next hearing, but in spite of that the school authorities tried to carry out construction with police help. The headmaster, however, said he had not received any court orders.
"Recently, I had received a grant of Rs 1.50 lakh under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to construct a boundary wall to provide a safe environment to the children but people are not letting me do that," said the headmaster.
{{/usCountry}}"Recently, I had received a grant of Rs 1.50 lakh under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to construct a boundary wall to provide a safe environment to the children but people are not letting me do that," said the headmaster.
{{/usCountry}}Residents Vipin Thakur, Jamuna Devi and others said that they would not be left with any passage if the wall was built. They added that the municipal council had recognised the passage as a street and laid water supply and sewerage lines under it.