Mumbai, Nov. 27 -- A teachers' union has accused civic officials and a developer of failing to protect the rights of students by not reconstructing a municipal school in Sewri that was demolished as part of a redevelopment project. In a letter submitted to municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani on Tuesday, the Maharashtra State Teachers Council claimed that the builder, Alperton Developers, had built a residential tower but failed to construct the school building as promised. The union demanded the registration of a first information report against the responsible civic officials and the developer. It also requested the immediate restoration of the Second October Vasahat Municipal Marathi School on RA Kidwai Road in Sewri, which was part of a slum rehabilitation project approved in 2009. The school, established around 40 years ago, was demolished in 2015. The case reflects a wider pattern in the city. In Mahim, the Mori Road Municipal School was demolished in 2019 for redevelopment, but construction has not yet begun. In Kapad Bazaar, the developer reportedly offered only two floors instead of a dedicated school building. In the case of the Sewri school, it was excluded from the initial redevelopment plan in 2009, according to Shivnath Darade, the working president of the Maharashtra State Teachers' Council in Mumbai. The school building was added to the redevelopment plan only in 2013, but the developer later took possession of the entire plot, he added. "The developer built the residential tower but did not construct the school building as promised," Darade said. "The school was shifted to four cramped one-room kitchen units. This is a violation of students' rights, and we have been following this issue since 2016." Darade said the original school had nine classrooms and a small playground, covering over 3,700 square feet. In contrast, the temporary arrangement provides only four small rooms, falling far short of the 400-square-foot classroom requirement under the Right to Education Act. "It is shocking that even municipal schools are being denied basic norms," he added. In his letter to Gagrani, Darade wrote that municipal authorities and the Slum Rehabilitation Authority failed to ensure that the developer constructed the promised school building. He stated that despite several complaints and reminders, the civic administration had not taken strong action. "How was the developer allowed to sell the tower without completing the school building?" the letter said. The situation worsened when society members locked the temporary school space over unpaid electricity and maintenance bills-expenses that were the developer's responsibility. Municipal records show that the civic education department wrote to Alperton Developers on August 12 and subsequently held meetings on August 14 and August 25. When the developer failed to attend the meetings, a reminder was sent on September 9. However, there was no progress, the letter added. When contacted, Gagrani told HT, "We are taking action on this issue."...