DC directive ignored? Railway works resume

Century-old Yadavagiri Govt. School managements write to DC, BEO seeking urgent intervention  

Mysuru: After a break, South Western Railway (SWR) officials and staff have resumed construction of a multi-storey building, a residential complex, an indoor stadium and an auditorium at Yadavagiri.

The construction site is adjacent to the century-old Government High School at Vontikoppal (V.V. Mohalla), opposite Sri Lakshmivenkataramanaswamy Temple and the Yadavagiri Government Higher Primary School.

The construction has resumed despite a directive from Mysuru Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy to reserve two acres of land for the schools and their playgrounds.

The DC had issued the directive after examining land records, Government Orders, possession certificates, survey reports and other documents submitted by the Mysuru Tahsildar and the Assistant Director of Land Records.

It may be recalled that a series of reports published by Star of Mysore and its sister publication Mysuru Mithra in July had raised concerns over the impact of the proposed construction on the two educational institutions.

On July 24, the Deputy Commissioner chaired a meeting with senior officials from the District Administration, Department of Public Instruction and SWR. After reviewing the relevant records, he instructed the Railway authorities to ensure that the two schools and their playgrounds remained unaffected by the construction.

Although Railway officials initially agreed to the directive and assured that a fresh survey map would be prepared, no new map has been drawn even after two months, according to the schools. Instead, construction work has resumed, including the erection of concrete pillars at night.

Schools write to DC

The managements of the two schools have written to the DC and the Block Education Officer, highlighting the heritage value of the over century old Vontikoppal school, which was established in 1918. The schools have alleged that the construction of multi-storey structures close to the school premises is affecting the students’ education and adversely impacting their health.

The letter has urged the authorities to immediately suspend the construction work, protect the school premises and playgrounds and safeguard the students’ learning environment.