KOLKATA: A government school in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district is mooting to take legal steps against the state government if it is forced to paint mandatory blue and white colours of the Trinamool Congress government over its traditional saffron colours of the school building.
The state government has earmarked Rs 500 crore to paint all government schools in the state in the official blue and white colours of the government. The education council has sent notice to all the schools to commence the painting works by February 23 and conclude it by March 5.
However, Krishnachandrapur High School in Mathurapur block of South 24 Parganas district has refused to comply and headmaster Chandan Kumar Maity has shot a letter to the education secretary protesting against the order.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, the headmaster said: “We will not accept any sudden imposition of blue and white colours over us. It is both in bad taste and will eradicate diversity. We will consult our management committee and take necessary legal steps if the blue and white colours are imposed over us.”
“Saffron has been the colour of the three-storied buildings of our school since it was established in 1948. Our school was under Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) until Left Front government took over the school in 1977. However, we have close ties with the Mission and follow the traditional saffron colours of it,” added Maity, who has been headmaster of the school for 15 years.
Over 3,500 students of poor Sundarbans region study in Krishnachandrapur High School. The headmaster claimed that the school administration frequently engages in social work activities with RKM in the Sundarbans.
Blue and white colours have become the official colours of the state government with every government building, flyover and footpath being painted in these colours. Tax holidays were declared for industries and private buildings that painted in blue and white.