SHILLONG, June 21 � Students from one of the oldest schools in the State Capital here � Islamia Secondary School here couldn�t sit for their �half yearly� examinations after district authorities sealed the school.
Over 300 students and some parents were stranded outside the school on GS Road on Wednesday before getting to know the reason for the school being under lock and key. The school�s half-yearly examination had begun on June 15.
The district administration sealed the building on Tuesday after a committee formed on the orders of the Meghalaya High Court found the new school building was constructed violating laid norms.
The norms were framed by the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority (MUDA). It states that building cannot be constructed beyond G+3. However, if the ground floor is a parking area, than an additional floor can be constructed. The height of buildings was limited as Meghalaya falls in a highly seismic zone.
Incidentally, MUDA has identified certain buildings categorizsing these as �special buildings� for which the floor limit has been extended. This includes some Hotels, but educational institutes like Islamia School does not fall into �special category� buildings.
Established in 1920, the Islamia Secondary School was in a dilapidated condition before school authorities started construction of a new building from 2012.
The school Principal Dilip Kumar Dutta said, the school was sealed in the evening and so the authorities were not in a position to inform the students.
The school authority later met the Sub Divisional School Education Officer of the district informing about the situation. It was decided that alternative arrangements for the students would be made within two days so that their studies are not affected.
The school authority has, meanwhile, filed an appeal at the Meghalaya High Court. �We have filed an appeal at the Court on June 15,� Dutta informed. The hearing would be held tomorrow together with other cases related to sealing by the committee.
The district authorities have identified 24 buildings across the State Capital for violation of MUDA norms, which includes both residential and commercial buildings. Tenants were thrown out of their houses overnight by the district administration without giving time to re-locate.