Jhapa, June 20

Mohan Maya Secondary School in Ramchowk of Birtamode Municipality, Jhapa, is facing a difficult time as the family that donated the land to the school has started claiming the land after decades.

The school started facing a tough time after the land owner filed a complaint at the district court demanding the land where the school structure was built decades ago.

Late Bhupal Man Singh Karki had verbally donated the land to the school in 1967. Karki had donated 12.10 kattha land around five decades ago, but it has not been registered in school’s name yet.

After the donor family lodged a complaint at the court five years ago, the court had given a verdict in the family’s favour. “We have spent a lot in building infrastructure, but they are giving us undue pressure to vacate the land. So, we have filed a writ at the high court,” said head teacher Sher Bahadur Shrestha.

Jagat Bandhu Karki, son of Bhupal Man, had filed a case against the school demanding the land.

According to assistant head teacher Bhawani Rajbanshi, the school was shifted to Ramchowk from Karuwabhitta of then Charpane VDC-3, after Karki donated the land.

The School Management Committee chairperson Narayan Rajbanshi said that the school that started its classes from sheds has now eight buildings, including seven single storey buildings and one three-storey building with 30 classrooms. The school had been declared the best community school on the basis of SLC results in three consecutive years in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

More than 900 students are studying at the school, which also runs classes for the hearing-impaired.