Barrackpore: A prayer held in front of a kindergarten school in Barrackpore failed to resolve an ownership dispute with the church and the army both sticking to their claims that they own the property.

The prayer outside Modern School was conducted by officials of the Barrackpore diocese of the Church of North India and attended by priests, parents and employees of the school.

Church officials said the prayer was held to try and break the deadlock.

They said the army had told them that they were not opposed to the school - a wing of Modern English Academy - but insisted that they run it themselves.

The army, however, denied having given any such proposal.

Church officials said they were opposed to the army's "proposal".

"The property (84 on Middle Road) is owned by the Barrackpore diocese of the Church of North India. The army had taken it on rent and we cannot agree to this proposal," said Reverend Brojen Malakar, an official of the Barrackpore diocese.

The school, however, is not run by the church.

The Eastern Command said the army had "legally resumed the property".

"The protesters were explained the legalities of the case and ownership by the army in the presence of police. The protesters then dispersed peacefully," an army officer said.

The officer was referring to those who attended the "prayer meeting".

Officers from the Barrackpore Cantonment Board had a few days ago pitched tents on the campus and replaced the board bearing the school's name with another which has the words "Defence land" written on it.

Church officials have been requesting the army to vacate the campus.

The school authorities said the classes would resume after summer vacation on June 19.

"We will open our lock and start the school, which has been running from this campus since 1956. We have not received any order from the army or the landlord, asking us to vacate the premises. Classes will resume on June 19 and the army cannot walk into the school and take it over," said Sugato Roy, secretary of the school's senior section.

"A society runs the senior school. The kindergarten school is run by principal Amrita Isaac Roy. There need not be any society for a kindergarten school. An individual can run it," Roy said.

In March, a bulldozer requisitioned by the army had demolished the main entrance to the school's senior section, a portion of its wall and an adjoining waiting room for students while the ICSE and ISC exams were on.

The army had said the land belonged to it and "an illegal structure" had been pulled down. The school contested the claim.