Is Borivali Education Society-run mk school’s shift valid, state govt asked

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has directed the state to give its say on whether the Borivali Education Society-run M.K. School’s shift is necessary or not. The school wants to shift its current structure from Borivali west to Borivali east as they have claimed that the existing premise is dilapidated.

The court’s direction comes in response to the petition filed by the parents of the children studying in the school, seeking restraining directions to the school from going ahead with the shift as it is mid-term and the proposed premise does not conform to the rules.

The court has also asked the school to start classes after the parents said that they had no objection for their children attending classes in the so called dilapidated premise.

A division bench of Justices Anoop Mohta and Bharati Dangre was hearing writs filed by different groups of parents and the Parents Teachers Association represented by senior counsels Shreepad Murthy and Mihir Desai. The counsels informed the court that almost all of the 2,239 parents were opposed to the shifting and around 100 were even present in the court on Thursday. In the previous hearing the court had directed the state and BMC to submit its say on the contentions of the school, which was represented by senior counsel Pravin Samtani. The school had said that it was necessary to shift the school to Borivali (east) as the existing structure was dilapidated.  

On Thursday, the government pleader made a statement before the court that the state government’s permission was required for either temporary or permanent shifting of a school and that the government had not taken any decision on the application made by the school and would take an appropriate decision before September 18.

After Mr Murthy submitted that shifting during mid-term was not bonafide and expressed serious apprehension on the claims of the school that the CBSE Board had directed it to shift the school, the court directed the school to start classes immediately. Mr Samtani accepted the directions of the court stating that the school would not be responsible for any consequences.