Karnataka Controversy: Govt Faces Ire Over Razing of 156-Year-Old School for Multi-Level Car Parking

Hubballi: The controversial decision by the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation to demolish a historic 156-year-old Kannada school in Hubballi city of Karnataka, making way for a multi-level car parking, has sparked criticism. Despite opposition from Kannada activists and school veterans, authorities are proceeding with the plan, going against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's assurance to safeguard the interests and heritage of the Kannada language.

Sources reveal that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is prepared for the demolition of the school, constructed in 1868, to facilitate the construction of the car parking facility at a cost of Rs 18 crore. The project aims to alleviate the vehicle congestion in Broadway and Durgadbail areas in Hubballi and provide parking for the upcoming MG Market in the vicinity.

Congress MLA from Hubballi-Dharwad East, Prasad Abbaiyya, is heading the project and has commissioned the DPR for the multi-level parking by dismantling the historic school. Currently accommodating 58 students with three teachers, the school is also linked to the Jagadguru Gangadhar Kannada Govt Model School, Murusaviramath. In response to concerns about the school's closure, authorities, along with MLA Abbaiyya, are devising plans to relocate the students to a nearby school, a move that has reportedly received consent from the Education Department.