Bengaluru, Oct 21 (IANS): As Karnataka's first school for children of police officials in Dharward is allegedly on the verge of closure and teaching and non-teaching staff not paid salaries for the last eight months, a Janata Dal-Secular leader has made an emotional appeal to the state government not to shut it down.

The residential school -- primarily catering to the wards of lower-rung police officials -- is 'on a ventilator' and a 'section of ill-intentioned police officers are waiting for your (Bommai) orders to pull the plug', Janata Dal-S leader Basavaraj Horatti claimed in a two-page emotionally charged letter to Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

Horatti chose to write the letter on Police Commemoration Day on October 21 to highlight the problems faced by the school.

Horatti also accused Bommai of falling for the "false" findings of a section of self-interested police officers who want to close this school in prime locality in Dharward and convert it into a private school.

Dharwad is 428 km from Bengaluru.

The former Minister said that a teacher employed at the school was finding it extremely difficult to ensure proper treatment to his three daughters who are mentally challenged as the state government had failed to disburse salaries for eight months.

"It is not just one off case. Another teacher has died in anticipation of salary dues 12 days ago. His family struggled to clear hospital dues to get the body. At least these things should not happen under you (Bommai) who comes from north Karnataka," the former Legislative Council Chairman wrote.

Alluding to the fault lines of north and south Karnataka regions, Horatti charged that officials working from ivory towers in Bengaluru are not bothered to work for the welfare of north Karnataka areas.

"I humbly request that you do not allow the school's closure as it was conceived to be set up in Dharwad when your late father SR Bommai was the Chief Minister. Hence, it will not be advisable for a son to close down the school launched by his father," he said.

The JD-S leader recalled that this residential school was conceptualised on the lines of Army schools and aimed to impart quality education to the children of Constables to Assistant Sub-Inspectors working in Belagavi and Kalaburagi revenue divisions.