The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) has opposed the Coimbatore Corporation’s move to construct a commercial complex in one part of the playground of the Corporation school in Kavundampalayam.
In his letter to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, MDMK youth wing secretary V Eswaran said, “The Corporation Middle School at Jai Nagar in Kavundampalayam was started 50 years ago and around 500 students study in that school, which has classrooms and a playground. But now there are reports that the Corporation is planning to construct a commercial complex in part of the playground area.”
This will adversely affect the development of the school and in the future if the school needs to be developed or upgraded, it will become impossible to buy land for the school, he said.
“It will be inadequate if students have only classrooms. In maintaining good health and encouraging brotherhood, sports play an important role. But sports is entirely neglected in schools. A sports ground should be an essential part of every school,” he said in his letter.
He further said, “The Coimbatore Corporation should leave the existing sports ground for students to use. In the available vacant land, the Corporation should set up tennis, volleyball, badminton, basketball and other sports facilities and employ sports trainers and help poor students get trained in sports.”
No places that belong to schools should be converted into commercial complexes, he said.
“The Coimbatore Corporation has already constructed a commercial complex at a Corporation middle school in Tatabad near Sivananda Colony and is planning to let these shops on lease.
Now, it is proposing to construct another commercial complex at Kavundampalaym Corporation school, which is not in the interest of the students,” Eswaran said.