HC directs joint forces to vacate schools in Lalgarh by Dec 30

Advocate General Balai Roy submitted that nine schools and a college had been vacated and two others would be handed back to the school authorities by December two.

The AG sought three-month time for vacating 10 other schools.

Since labourers were afraid of working in the Maoist-hit district to construct buildings and temporary structures for the security forces to shift to,it was creating problems,he said.

The court,however,refused his argument and set the deadline of December 30 for vacating the schools. The order was passed on a PIL filed by NGO West Midnapore Bhumij Kalyan Samity seeking immediate steps for resumption of classes.

The state armed forces as well as CRPF and BSF had occupied 21 schools and one college in four blocks in West Midnapore district in June,when the operations to flush out Maoists from Lalgarh began. Roy later told news persons that the state is taking steps to comply with the high court order.