The Kerala High Court on Tuesday sought the response of the Centre and the State government on a public interest litigation (PIL) by Congress MLA Ramesh Chennithala challenging the proposed closure of the only Kendriya Vidyalaya in Alappuzha district.
A Bench of Chief Justice S. Manikumar and Justice Shaji P. Chaly also sought the stand of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), its unit in Kayamkulam -- which sponsored the school -- and the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) on the MLA’s plea.
Mr. Chennithala, in his petition, claimed that the school was closed “abruptly” and the same was done “illegally”. The Kendriya Vidyalaya was opened in 1999-2000 in the project sector under the sponsorship of the NTPC, Kayamkulam. “In blatant violation of its undertakings, the NTPC authorities have now decided to stop sponsoring the school which will inevitably lead to its closure”.
According to the petition, the NTPC announced in 2020 that it had decided to stop sponsoring the school from March 2022 as the cost of running the school was almost Rs 4 crore per annum.
It would consider handing over the school along with the land and facilities to the KVS if there was such a request or demand from them. “It is submitted that till date the KVS has not made any such request,” the petition claimed.
