KOCHI: The MES-run kindergarten school at Udyogamandal in Eroor is in the centre of a controversy with its authorities not being able to produce relevant documents regarding the building housing the school. The building, more than ten years old, is situated on the land leased by the FACT and currently the MES authorities do not possess any building number or fitness certificate for it. Altogether 116 students and 20 teaching and non-teaching staff are now part of the KG school. A high school section was functioning in this building till 2011, and when it was mired in issues, it stopped.
The school manager Kunhu Muhammed told DC that they had all the documents related to the building with them, but they were lost during shifting of its office after they closed the high school section. “We have to produce the permission letter given by FACT for constructing the building to secure all other documents. But since we are engaged in a legal case in the Kerala High Court with FACT, they are not giving the letter," he said.
"Only if we get it, we will be able to secure fitness certificate, building permit and building number once again from PWD, town planning department and the municipality.” He said the search at the Eloor Municipality office for the original documents was futile. Eloor Municipal chairperson Siji Babu said it was not in possession of any documents of the building or the school and had asked the authorities to present them at the earliest.
“We are slowing action considering the future of the 116 students," she sad. "They say they will secure documents from town planning department and FACT. We will wait for a few more days, and unless they presented the necessary papers, we would act.” FACT estate manager Leslie Varghese said the then estate manager had given the consent letter for the temporary structure over ten years ago against which MES constructed a permanent building.
“We withdrew the permission for the building and school in 2012 which they challenged in the court. The school authorities have not been able to present the details regarding permission given by the local body for the building to FACT. Since it is sub judice we are not able to proceed in the case,” he said. Yuva Morcha district office-bearer Ebin Raj who submitted a petition in June in this regard said no action had been taken by the municipal authorities against the school so far.
