-- Statement of Sadhana Mane, chairperson of BMC Education Committee, in the general body meeting on December 14, 1998 on the issue of dereservation of a plot of land meant for a municipal primary school, near Colaba Market.

Shiv Sena corporator Sadhana Mane made the above statement in the House on Monday on the basis of a report submitted by the administrative officer, Pandurang Patil. The same day, the ruling Sena-BJP alliance voted for dereservation of the 162-square metre plot, even as the opposition made an unsuccessful last-ditch attempt to `appeal to their collective conscience' that an additional school was badly needed.

But it appears BMC has indeed stretched the facts, even as students every day perform a bench-press of sorts. Contrary to Mane's statement in the House, Newsline found the situation to be far from normal. At the two biggest municipalprimary and secondary schools on N A Savant Marg in Colaba, as many as three and sometimes four students were seen sharing a small bench meant for only two. Second standard students were even forced to sit on the ground because two classes were merged into one after one of the teachers retired. Her replacement had not yet been appointed.

``Morning shifts are particularly bad because often four students have to be accommodated on one bench,'' said one of the teachers, preferring anonymity.

But the children don't seem to mind this unusual bench-press. ``We like this arrangement because we sit close to each other. It becomes easier to copy from your neighbour's notebook!'' remarked a student of class three.

Congress corporator of the ward Annie Shekhar said: ``It is shocking how Sadhana Mane could have made that misleading statement in the House. I have myself seen four to five students on one bench and have already complained on the issue, which is why I was against dereservation of the plot. Anadditional school in Colaba is the need of the hour.''

When contacted on Wednesday, Sadhana Mane admitted not having personally visited the schools. She said three students may be sitting on one bench because most of the old benches have been sent for repairs.

``I did not mislead the House, I had only read out the administrative officer's report on the schools on Monday. In fact, the report has also informed that another civic school on Rajawadkar Street in Colaba was forced to close down in 1996 for want of sufficient students. These students were also shifted to the NA Sawant Marg civic schools,'' she said.

In a debate in the House on Monday, the Sena ruled a cash-strapped BMC could not afford to spend Rs 74 lakh to provide alternate accommodation to tenants already residing on the 162 sq mt plot. The opposition had alleged foul play in the dereservation.