Silvester D’Souza

Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (MS)

Kundapur, Nov 7: A protest was held in front of the Kalavara Panchayat on Thursday, November 7, opposing the decision to hand over the land of Government Higher Primary School Kalavara to a private individual.

The protestors called for the protection of the children’s educational rights and the preservation of the school, which recently celebrated its centenary.

The 0.67-acre land in Survey No. 202/3 was originally donated to the public education department in 1954 through a gift deed. The deed was registered with the Kundapura taluk sub-registrar’s office, and the land has been under the ownership of the district board president, as mentioned in the RTC (Record of Rights, Tenancy, and Crops).

The school has been functioning on this land for the past 103 years, with several infrastructural developments funded by the education department and philanthropists.

However, the issue surfaced when a private individual, who had remained silent for decades, filed a petition in the Senior Civil Judge Court of Kundapur, claiming ownership of the land. The court ruled in the individual’s favor, and the person has since filed a case to amend the RTC and transfer the land to their name.

The head teacher of the school has since obtained a copy of the gift deed from the sub-registrar’s office, and the zonal education officer has filed a writ in the Karnataka High Court, seeking a stay on the court’s decision.

The protestors are concerned that if the land is transferred to the private individual, it would violate the rights of the 134 students currently enrolled at the school, depriving them of access to education. They are urging the government and concerned departments to intervene immediately to ensure the land remains under the school’s control.

Ramachandra Navada, a member of the Kalavara Gram Panchayat, addressed the protesters, saying, “134 students are studying in this school. This institute, which celebrated its centenary, should not be handed over to any individual at any cost. 64 cents of land were donated to the school through a gift deed by Kaup Sanjeev Shetty, and the deed is still available. Despite all records being in place, the department failed to provide them to the court. We must unite now to save the school.”

Prof. Shankar Rao Kalavara, a retired principal, added, “It is wrong to return the land once donated through a gift deed to a private individual. The government must look into this matter. This school has a long history, and its existence should not be harmed.”

Shobhalaxmi, the Kundapura Tahsildar, who arrived at the protest site, acknowledged the appeal and assured the crowd that she would not be swayed by any pressure to amend the RTC. The protestors also submitted appeals to Shobha Shetty, the Kundapura Zone Education Officer, the Taluk Panchayat CEO, the Grama Panchayat president, and the development officer, urging them to take immediate action to protect the school property.

The protest was attended by Deepa Shetty, president of the School Development Committee; Raghuveer K, a retired teacher; Mohanchandra Kalavar, members of the Old Students’ Association, Bharath Shetty, president of the Old Students’ Association; Ranjit Kumar Shetty; and several villagers, school staff, and students.