Indian Express 03.12.2010
Civic body school board gears up to set up first civic military school
A civic school with facilities of horse riding, swimming pool, gym and firing range that usually form part of a military school curriculum would soon become a reality with the school board of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) stepping up efforts to set up a Municipal Sainik School. The school would impart military training to children urging them to join the Armed Forces.
With the location finalised near the Katraj bypass on Mumbai-Bangalore highway, the school would be spread over 3.5 acre, 2.5 acre of the which has already been acquired. Proposed in 2006-07, the construction work is expected to begin in January and expected to complete by mid-2012.
“Though the school was proposed four years ago, it took some time for the approvals, land identification and acquisition. We have finalised 3.5 acre plot by the side of the Mumbai-Bangalore bypass near Wonder City and 2.5 acre has already been acquired,” said Sangeeta Tiwari, chairperson, School Board, PMC.
The PMC has sanctioned Rs 1 crore for the construction of the premises that would include academic area consisting of labs, classrooms, computer labs, library along with administrative block, dining area and so on. The military amenities on the lines of Sainik School would include firing range, gymnasium, badminton hall, horse stable, swimming pool and so on. “The plan also includes hurdle track, rope climbing, 200-metre track, climbing wall and so on. The future plan would also include hostels, commandant’s and officers residences and so on,” said architect Vishwas Kulkarni who has been working on the project.
With retired defence personnel as the training staff, the school board plans to limit the intake to 50 students per year from Class V to 10. “It would be a residential school like any other military school and the norms followed would be those at the PMC schools. We have received a nod from the Education Board but we would be pushing for the funds as Rs 1 crore is insufficient for a military school,” added Tiwari. The city currently has 281 municipal schools in 162 buildings across the city.
