HC gives nod for repairs to Navodaya Vidyalaya, Valpoi

the goan I network
PANAJI
The Division Bench of the High Court of Bombay at Panaji, Goa, comprising Justice N.M. Jamdar and Justice Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday allowed an application to carry out extensive repairs to the buildings of Navodaya Vidyalaya Complex at Valpoi in Sattari. 
The Parents Teachers Association of more than 300 parents of the wards of Navodaya Vidyalaya at Valpoi had filed a writ petition before the High Court seeking extensive repairs to the school building or in the alternate for shifting of the school to an alternate site. 
In the petition, the parents had pointed out that after the construction was completed in 1995, neither the central government nor the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti carried out any maintenance and repairs of the school building complex for more than 20 years on account of an ongoing dispute as regards the ownership of the land between some private parties and the government. 
It was pointed out in the petition that there were cracks in the columns and beams in almost all the buildings. The doors, windows and flooring required replacement. There were cracks in the masonry walls resulting in dampness during monsoon. Almost all overhead tanks were broken. There was constant seepage in the toilet block and the kitchen block. Fittings and fixtures were corroded. Electricity wires were hanging everywhere and electrical switches and holders had become un-operational. Due to dampness, the walls got wet and students would get an electric shock when they accidentally touched certain walls. 
By a judgment and decree dated 03/09/2005 passed in Civil Suit No.22/2004, the then Additional District Judge at Mapusa, Nutan Sardessai had directed the central government and the state government to remove all the structures in the disputed land and restore the same to the original position. 
The central government filed before the HC challenging the judgment and decree passed by the District Judge. By two separate orders dated February 13, 2005 and June 20, 2006, the High Court had directed the parties to maintain status quo and not to create any third party rights. 
In the writ petition filed by them, the parents relied on the report of S V National Institute of Technology at Surat and sought extensive repairs of the buildings in the suit complex. 
On appreciating the report of the experts and on hearing the advocates for the parties, the High Court has granted permission for carrying out repairs to the school complex under the supervision of Sadhana Bandekar, Executive Engineer of Public Works Department. However, no new construction is allowed to be carried out. 
Shashikant Joshi appeared for the petitioner parents, Mahesh Amonkar, senior central standing counsel appeared for the central government and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Purna Bhandari appeared for the state government and Valmiki Menezes for the private landowners.