BSS directed to shift crafts centre out of govt school

BSS was scheduled to run the centre from Nehru Bhawan,Sector 24,which was allotted to it at concessional rates in 1967 for carrying out cultural works.

Instead,BSS in alliance with Durga Das Foundation (DDF),shifted the crafts centre out of Nehru Bhawan and started running the Strawberry Fields kindergarten school on the premises. BSS even managed to secure permission from the Administration in 1998 to run the crafts centre in a government school in Sector 24.

TheAdministration,while issuing a show-cause notice to BSS,titled,“Withdrawal of permission”,said: “Please refer to the permission granted by the Under Secretary Education (Schools) dated June 23,1998. The said permission was granted to you by the then Under Secretary Education to run crafts centre for girls in Government High School,Sector 24. But on perusal of records,it has come to the notice of this office that the Administration vide memo dated December 29,1967,had already allotted land to Bharat Sewak Samaj for this purpose in Sector 24 and they have also constructed a building ? Nehru Bhawan on the said piece of land. But the said organisation has been using this building not for the purpose for which the land was allotted to them,and instead is running a school”.

The notice further said: “Therefore,you are directed to shift this centre to the premises allotted by the Administration for the said purpose so that the schoolroom being occupied by you could be made available to the students seeking admission in the school,which is already having a space constraint.”

The Administration’s District Education Officer has asked the BSS management to explain their stand within seven days of the notice,failing which legal action shall be initiated against them.

Last week,Chandigarh Newsline had reported how DDF and BSS had shifted the prime chunk of land citing ‘smooth functioning’. The land,which was allotted for cultural purposes was used for running a kindergarten school,which is one of the most sought after schools now,and the crafts centre initially being run from the same premises was shifted to the Administration’s government school,around 100 meters away.

DDF Director Atul Khanna is now facing a CBI probe for his alleged connivance with certain officials of Chandigarh Administration,who allegedly ‘showered’ favours on Strawberry Fields school. Despite repeated attempts,Khanna did not respond to calls and messages left on his phone.

CBI likely to quiz Khanna again

Atul Khanna,who also holds a key position in BSS,is likely to be questioned by CBI again. CBI sources said Khanna,who was questioned at length for around eight hours last week,kept on evading most of the queries and could not provide any substantial answers because of which he is likely to be questioned again.