Bengaluru: A day after the state government and the union defence ministry agreed to sort out the JC Nagar school land ownership dispute amicably, the state revenue department started the land survey work.
According to the school teachers, attendance was very thin on the first day as most of the students did not turn up due to apprehensions caused by what they called the ‘fear factor’ – the army.
An officer from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), told this newspaper that the revenue department started the land survey work as per the decision taken in Thursday's meeting. “Yesterday, union defence minister Manohar Parikkar gave an assurance of leasing out the land or handing over the ownership. To ensure that we will have concrete information about the land ownership, survey works have begun,” he said.
"The Revenue department has been authorized to do this work," he made it clear.
Director, Department of Pre-University Education, Ramegowda, visited the school on Friday morning. He told Deccan Chronicle that as the land dispute had been resolved, he paid a visit to infuse confidence among the students and lecturers of the junior college. "All the regular classes were conducted,” he said.
When asked why so many students were absent, he said it may have been due to Thursday's religious festival celebrations.
According to the teachers, only around 100-150 students attended classes on Friday. “It could also have been because of the confusion caused on Tuesday, when these students had witnessed a confrontation between civic authorities and defence personnel,” said a local.
Meanwhile, school authorities have decided to hold a meeting with parents next week to reassure them that the school will not be closed down or shifted from its current location.
What happened on Friday…
- Classes began with distribution of sweets by the teachers
- The Revenue department started survey work
- Out of 1,700 students, only around 100 students came to school
- Department of Pre-University Education (DPE) director Mr. Ramegowda visited the school in the morning and held talks with the students and teachers
- School teachers have decided to organise a meeting of all the parents next week to clear all doubts and apprehension, and to ensure that all the students start attending school
- According to the school authorities, students stayed away from the school for fear of the army
- But DPI officials asserted that the thin attendance at school was due to Thursday's religious festival
