Even as the future of 1,100 students has been put at stake after the Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (Mhada) demolished the Mohite Patil Vidyalaya in Mankhurd without notice last week, the parents and school staff are now planning to approach the CM to intervene if Mhada doesn’t respond positively.
According to Jayshree Jadhav, principal of the school, the demolition squad of Mhada came on Friday last week and demolished the building.
“The Mhada demolished the school without any prior notice, as a result of which the pre-primary and primary students enrolled with the school are now in a lurch and the staff is jobless,” said Ms Jadhav.
She added that according to an agreement with the Mhada, the school management had given an undertaking that the land would be handed over to the development body as and when it asked for it. “As per the agreement the school paid rent for use of the land. The least that was expected is that Mhada would either give prior notice or provide an alternate option in case it wanted the land back,” said Ms Jadhav.
Kapil Patil, Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Mumbai Teachers’ Constituency, said, “We will be meeting the Mhada chief along with the school staff and demand for an alternate place for the school,” said Patil.
Mr Patil has already met with Satish Gavai, Mhada’s CEO and VP. “I have called for a meeting with the officers and will allocate alternate arrangements for the school to continue functioning,” said Mr Gavai.
Parents and school authorities said that in the light of the Right To Education (RTE) Act they would be forced to approach chief minister soon Prithviraj Chavan if the meeting with Mhada chief did not result in a solution.