Students of Mahadevi Birla Shishu Vihar board a school bus at the new building on Wednesday. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

The parents of the nursery students of Mahadevi Birla Shishu Vihar lodged a fresh complaint with Tollygunge police station against the school on Wednesday. They had earlier lodged a complaint with Karaya police station.

Over 30 parents gathered outside the new address of the school’s nursery section on Southern Avenue, demanding to inspect the facilities on the premises, but were denied entry.

“I wanted to see the classrooms and other facilities being provided by the school, but the authorities didn’t let us enter,” said Vivek Gupta, whose daughter studies in Upper Infant.

The nursery classes are being held in six flats of two residential buildings. The other flats house tenants and will not be vacated before a month.

The parents implored the police to take adequate action as the school had “forcefully shifted the nursery section without their consent” even after they submitted a letter to the school opposing the shift.

“Our kids have to sit on mattresses as there aren’t enough chairs to accommodate all the students,” said Gupta.

Principal Sucharita Poddar denied the allegations. “What the parents are saying is not true. It is a fully established school and has all necessary facilities,” she said.

When Metro visited the building, it found that the new buildings together have a seating capacity of not more than 150, while the nursery section has around 350 students.

Classes for Lower Infant students are being held on the ground floor, but the Upper Infant kids face a steep climb to the second and third floors. The playground, an open space between the two buildings, is made of concrete.

“The school does not even have proper boundary walls. The tenants are using the same passage that our children are using. Anything can happen anytime,” said Gupta.

The school shifted the nursery section to the new address from Monday citing institutional development and cramped space in the Iron Side Road building.