Shillong, Feb 24: The Meghalaya High Court has directed the St Anthony’s Lower Primary School management to construct its new building similar to the demolished one and get the building plan approved by Meghalaya Urban Development Authority.
“We permit the school management to rebuild but the plan and architecture of the building should be more or similar to the demolished one,” the bench of Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh stated in its order after hearing a PIL on Monday.
If the approved plan has to be revised, it may be so done and duly approved by the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority, the court said.
However, the court directed alleged contemnors, accused of violating the court order by going ahead with demolition of the 72-year-old building despite court’s restriction, to file an affidavit in regard to the queries of the court by March 17.
“Now, the question which seeks an answer is this: the order passed by us was made on 9th December, 2024. The school management had full knowledge of it,” it said.
“The Court despite being closed for the Christmas vacation, had a vacation bench sitting periodically. Why this allegedly imminent danger to the building and the need to demolish it was not brought to the notice of the vacation bench and appropriate leave obtained to demolish the building?,” the court said.
“When the matter was made returnable on the very next day of reopening of the Court on 28th January, 2025, why during the vacation of the Court, the building had to be demolished, when it was allowed to stand for all this while?” it added.
Set up in 1922, St Anthony’s Lower Primary School is run by the missionaries of the Salesians of Don Bosco belonging to the Catholic Church. The demolished school building was built between 1949 and 1952.
According to authorities, the building was found to be structurally very weak in 2024 and needed large-scale restructuring, rebuilding and renovation.
The school management engaged Reliant Foundations Private Limited of Guwahati who carried out various tests and advised structural changes.
Matters came to a head at the close of 2024 when building was allegedly found to be tilting and “urgent and immediate action is called for to prevent any serious damages or accidents” as recorded in the recommendation of the school management on January 4, 2025.
The affidavit also stated that the MUDA has approved the plan for restructuring, rebuilding and so on without raising any question with regard to heritage.
It also stated that the building has already been demolished. The students have been relocated to another place. The building restructuring plan was also approved by MUDA.
According to the respondent authorities, on a combined view of the square, the statue of the Don Bosco and the façade of the school facing it, the building should be declared as heritage, the court said.
