The fair that occupies the playground of two schools near Kestopur, on VIP Road. Picture by Sanat Kumar Sinha

A six-bigha school playground has been let out to a private organisation for holding a long-drawn-out mela. One government department admits that it had made a mistake by giving the permission, while another claims the ground belongs to it.

The playground belongs to Prafullakanan Deshapriya Vidyamandir Boys’ School, off VIP Road, near Kestopur.

“Nearly 2,300 students of our school and the adjoining girls’ school have lost their playground to the fair and our boys have no place for their morning assembly and prayers,” said Prankrishna Banerjee, principal of the boys’ school.

The sub-divisional officer of Barasat allowed the fair to run for a week from June 11, during the school’s summer holidays, and later extended the permission.

“We made a mistake in granting permission to the fair. But this has been a routine affair, as our records show that permission has been granted for the past eight years. We will be more careful next time,” said the sub-divisional officer of Barasat, S.C. Ghosh.

While the school authorities complain of the regular fairs in their compound, the refugee rehabilitation and relief department has asked the present organisers to stop the fair, claiming that the ground belongs to it.

“According to documents in our possession, the playground belongs to us. But now the refugee rehabilitation and relief department is claiming that it’s theirs. I don’t have any idea what is going on,” said the boys’ school principal.

Schoolchildren crowded out of their playground by the fair. Picture by Sanat Kumar Sinha

The additional district magistrate in charge of the refugee rehabilitation department, B. Patra, said: “We’ll take action against the fair organisers as they have not sought permission from us for using the land which belongs to us, according to the records.”

The playground is also used to stage jatras in winter and for Kali pujas organised by a local club.

“We asked the organisers to stop the fair by June 22, even though we received a no-objection letter from the schools for allowing the fair,” said Patra.

“We’re helpless. The fault lies with the North 24-Parganas district administration. It has failed to rein in the local municipality, which often throws its weight behind the fair organisers and forces us to allow such things,’’ said a managing committee member of the girls’ school.