KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday sought response of the Centre and state government on a PIL by Congress MLA Ramesh Chennithala challenging the proposed closure of the only Kendriya Vidyalaya school in Alappuzha district.

A bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly also sought the stand of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), its unit in Kayamkulam — which had sponsored the school in question — and the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) on the MLA’s plea.

Chennithala, in his petition filed through advocate Nisha George, has claimed that the school was closed “abruptly” and the same was done “illegally”.

“Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) NTPC, Kayamkulam (school in question) was opened in the year 1999-2000 in the project sector under the sponsorship of NTPC, Kayamkulam. It is the only KV in Alappuzha district,” the plea has claimed.

The MLA has further contended in his petition that “in blatant violation of its undertakings, the NTPC authorities have now decided to stop sponsoring the school which will inevitably lead to its closure”.

Advocate K I Mayankutty Mather, who appeared for KVS, said the high court asked him and the counsels for the other respondents to seek instructions in the matter and listed it for hearing after 10 days.

According to the petition, NTPC had announced in 2020 that it has decided to stop sponsoring the school from March 2022 as the cost of running the school was almost Rs 4 crore per annum.

The NTPC authorities had also said that they will consider handing over the school along with the land and facilities to KVS if there was such a request or demand from them, the plea has said.

“It is submitted that till date, the KVS had not made any such request,” the petition has claimed and further contended that since the the state government had given more than Rs 1.5 crores to the NTPC and also the land, free of cost, on which the project stands, it had a social responsibility to continue supporting the functioning of the school.

“Once a sponsoring authority enters into a MoU with the KVS authorities for opening a school, they undertake to provide the amenities and expenses as detailed in the MoU and are bound by the same and cannot wiggle out of their commitments by stating financial or other constraints,” the Congress MLA has contended in his plea.

The petition has sought court directions to the central government to ensure that funds required for the functioning of the school is provided without fail.

Besides that it has also sought directions to the state government and NTPC to take urgent steps for transfer of the buildings and land occupied by the school to the state government and thereafter, lease it to KVS so as to facilitate its continued functioning.