‘Cavalier attitude’ in report: Go back to campus, Cal HC tells KMC
Times of India | 6 June 2025
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday called out the "casual and cavalier attitude" of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) in submitting a report lacking details on the repairs needed at the La Martiniere schools. KMC was directed to conduct a further inspection on June 8 and take action according to urgency rather than wait for a court order.A vacation bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh and Justice Smita Das De on May 30 directed the KMC, along with the Heritage Commission representative, to undertake an inspection on June 2. They were specifically asked to assess the urgency of the repair work. The KMC submitted the report before the vacation bench of Justice Ravi Krishan Kapur and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya on Thursday. "It is a matter of some concern that the report filed by KMC is lacking in particulars and is not in compliance with the order dated May 30, 2025, whether in letter or spirit. The casual and cavalier attitude of the corporation in a matter such as this is unacceptable," the judges said.The KMC counsel admitted that the inspection was carried out only in a few rooms and not the entirety of the buildings. The vacation bench directed them to file an additional report highlighting "whether any repair work is necessary in either of the two schools" in terms of the previous order.According to a school official, the inspection on June 2 lasted for an hour and a half, with civic officials looking at the condition of around 30 classrooms when the two schools had over 200 classrooms. Also, the roofs of buildings were not inspected. It is the seepage of the roofs that caused a chunk of plaster measuring 10 ft×3 ft to fall off the ceiling at La Martiniere for Boys main building shortly after some workers vacated the spot.The vacation bench emphasised to KMC that the inspection must be carried out on June 8 between noon and 3 pm with representatives of each party present. The matter will be next taken up for hearing on June 10 before the regular bench having determination.