Kolkata: La Martiniere Boys School is likely to cite "student safety" when it responds by next week to the KMC's heritage committee stopwork notice which stated that the Grade I heritage building cannot undergo any modification, structural changes or alterations without permission. LMB says it will write to KMC on purpose and the scope of work being done, stressing it was necessary to ensure safety of students.
Before the KMC notice was issued, officials visited the school three times on Wednesday to inspect the work done on the heritage building. The KMC's action followed a complaint by the Association of La Martiniere Alumni (ALMA) that the school authorities replaced historic stone steps on the southern side of the campus, engraved with the names of former students, with marble slabs.
School secretary Supriyo Dhar said: "We will write to the KMC detailing what the actual work was and what the purpose was. We did not make any alterations or made any modifications. It was necessary for the safety of our children as the old stone steps were damaged. Other repair works were also required as many portions of the building were not in good condition."
The 180-year-old heritage school received a heritage blue plaque from the KMC a fortnight ago, which was fixed to the school gate. The Heritage Committee's official page mentions 13 assessee numbers for the La Martiniere Boys School, including classrooms and staff quarters.
ALMA president Vishal Jhajharia said: "We trust that as the custodian of Kolkata's heritage, KMC will act to protect and preserve the legacy of this institution and prevent further irreversible damage. We appreciate the move and look forward to it because the removal or covering of stones bearing the names of distinguished Martinians not only disrespects their contributions but also constitutes an act of historical erasure, which should be regarded as a criminal offence against our heritage."