Kolkata, June 13 -- The Calcutta High Court on Friday permitted La Martiniere School for Boys to carry out immediate repair work on its heritage premises, following reports of structural deterioration and the recent collapse of a portion of the ceiling.

The Division Bench comprising Justice Rajasekhar Mantha and Justice Ajay Kumar Gupta passed the order while hearing an appeal by the school authorities. The school claimed that the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) was not granting timely permission to conduct essential repairs to its building, which is nearly 190 years old and classified as a Grade-1 heritage structure.

The Heritage Conservation Committee of the KMC submitted a resolution dated June 12, 2025 recommending that dangerous portions of the building be repaired. These repairs must be conducted in accordance with heritage conservation norms, under the supervision of a conservation architect and a structural engineer empanelled with the KMC. The school must submit detailed reports and drawings for approval before commencing the work.

KMC, represented by its counsel, alleged that the school had allowed the premises to deteriorate over time and had also undertaken certain repairs without prior permission from either KMC or the West Bengal Heritage Commission. A police complaint was filed against the school in this regard.

The court reviewed a report dated June 9, 2025 from KMC, which identified several unsafe sections in both the boys' and girls' school campuses. Acknowledging the safety concerns, the court directed that all repair work specified in the KMC report be carried out by experts nominated by the KMC Commissioner. The cost of the repairs will be borne by the school. All work must adhere to relevant regulations set by the West Bengal Heritage Commission and the KMC.

The nominated professionals are required to submit a progress report within 45 days to the single bench, which will continue to monitor the matter and address any pending legal issues.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.