Arya News - The BJP has agreed to the removal of two temples after hundreds of students from a government-sponsored high school gathered in front of the local police station today, demanding the removal of encroachments from school land.
KOLKATA – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has agreed to the removal of two temples after hundreds of students from a government-sponsored high school gathered in front of the local police station today, demanding the removal of encroachments from school land.
Nepalipara Hindi High School has received approval for the construction of eight new classrooms, funded by various central government schemes and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions from public sector undertakings. However, construction work has been stalled due to around 100 encroachers occupying 1.5 acres of school land, refusing to vacate. In addition, two temples have been built on the land by the encroachers in an apparent attempt to prevent eviction. The matter was brought to the attention of the district magistrate’s office four months ago, but no progress has been made since.
“We’re unable to proceed with the expansion, and the allocated funds may be withdrawn, leaving us in a dire situation,” said Dr Kalimul Haque, the school’s headmaster. The school has 4,200 students and is facing an acute shortage of space.
In response to the ongoing crisis, students marched to the Coke Oven police station today, calling for police intervention. The police, however, were unable to act, as slum dwellers continued to invoke the temple issue during discussions with Dr Haque.
Jiten Nunia, a former student of the school and now a local BJP leader, had initially intervened, but his stance was overruled by Durgapur (West) MLA and BJP state leader, Lakshman Ghorui. He stated, “For the sake of the school and education, the temples may be vacated if necessary. However, the government must first ensure proper rehabilitation of the slum dwellers before proceeding with the work.”