123 Kolkata: Approval from the West Bengal Heritage Commission was mandatory before initiating any civil work on heritage buildings, said the Calcutta High Court on Thursday. The court's observations were regarding the repair and restoration plea by La Martiniere for Boys and Girls.The school approached Justice Gaurang Kanth's bench in their third litigation, requesting permission to repair and restore cracks in the buildings. Their legal representative informed the court that their repeated requests to KMC and the heritage commission to allow them to work during the summer vacation—May 16 to June 12— had not received any response.The repairs sought included fixing a broken roof, a staircase and painting, electrical work and toilet renovations. "It's a very old school and it was classified as a Grade-I heritage structure, meaning we can't touch the building without taking permission of the respondents (KMC heritage committee). I have made several representations where I have prayed for the building to be delisted from Grade-I heritage, but they have not taken any step," the school's counsel said."The writ is pending."The KMC counsel reported that an inspection on May 16 revealed that construction work had been carried out despite a KMC stop-work notice and a court stay order. The school's counsel contested the claims. Justice Kanth noted, "This is a heritage building, not just a school. If it's a normal school, I can ask them to do something. But the commission is involved."The court requested a report from KMC within two weeks and directed the school to approach the commission.Swapan Samaddar, MMiC overseeing the KMC heritage department, confirmed on Thursday that they were monitoring the developments and would act accordingly.KMC issued a stop-work notice to La Martiniere in Nov last year following complaints against unauthorised modifications. This action resulted from the La Martiniere Alumni Association's report about replacement of historic steps with marble slabs.Restoration architect Partha Ranjan Das, appointed by La Martiniere, presented recommendations to the KMC heritage committee on Saturday for minor repairs, including crack plastering, damp treatment, painting, and bathroom tile replacement. "These are regular upkeep work that can be done only when the school is shut, particularly in the girls' school, due to security reaons. The more serious repairs, like the sagging roof and restoration of steps, on which marble tiles were pasted without the heritage committee's approval, could be decided by the KMC later.But while the committee members understood the requirement, they were unable to take a decision as the matter was sub judice," said Das.School secretary Supriyo Dhar highlighted maintenance urgency, pointing at a concrete slab collapse during the summer holiday. "We are responsible for 6,000 students' safety. It's absurd to prevent repairs...," he said. Kolkata: Approval from the West Bengal Heritage Commission was mandatory before initiating any civil work on heritage buildings, said the Calcutta High Court on Thursday. The court's observations were regarding the repair and restoration plea by La Martiniere for Boys and Girls.The school approached Justice Gaurang Kanth's bench in their third litigation, requesting permission to repair and restore cracks in the buildings. Their legal representative informed the court that their repeated requests to KMC and the heritage commission to allow them to work during the summer vacation—May 16 to June 12— had not received any response.The repairs sought included fixing a broken roof, a staircase and painting, electrical work and toilet renovations. "It's a very old school and it was classified as a Grade-I heritage structure, meaning we can't touch the building without taking permission of the respondents (KMC heritage committee). I have made several representations where I have prayed for the building to be delisted from Grade-I heritage, but they have not taken any step," the school's counsel said."The writ is pending."The KMC counsel reported that an inspection on May 16 revealed that construction work had been carried out despite a KMC stop-work notice and a court stay order. The school's counsel contested the claims. Justice Kanth noted, "This is a heritage building, not just a school. If it's a normal school, I can ask them to do something. But the commission is involved."The court requested a report from KMC within two weeks and directed the school to approach the commission.Swapan Samaddar, MMiC overseeing the KMC heritage department, confirmed on Thursday that they were monitoring the developments and would act accordingly.KMC issued a stop-work notice to La Martiniere in Nov last year following complaints against unauthorised modifications. This action resulted from the La Martiniere Alumni Association's report about replacement of historic steps with marble slabs.Restoration architect Partha Ranjan Das, appointed by La Martiniere, presented recommendations to the KMC heritage committee on Saturday for minor repairs, including crack plastering, damp treatment, painting, and bathroom tile replacement. "These are regular upkeep work that can be done only when the school is shut, particularly in the girls' school, due to security reaons. The more serious repairs, like the sagging roof and restoration of steps, on which marble tiles were pasted without the heritage committee's approval, could be decided by the KMC later.But while the committee members understood the requirement, they were unable to take a decision as the matter was sub judice," said Das.School secretary Supriyo Dhar highlighted maintenance urgency, pointing at a concrete slab collapse during the summer holiday. "We are responsible for 6,000 students' safety. It's absurd to prevent repairs...," he said.