Montfort Community - Raipur


At the invitation of Rt. Rev. Joseph Augustine Charanakunnel, Archbishop of Raipur is also an ex-brother and reason enough forthe Brothers to agree to start a school in the capital city of Chhattisgarh. The ambitious project to have a school in the capital city of Chhattisgarh was launched in search of a suitable plot of land by the then Provincial Superior Rev. Bro. Joy Joseph. Bro. George Pottakaran and Bro. Gabriel Lakra from the community of Ambikapurwas entrusted with the responsibility of looking for a suitable plot of land to construct a school. After a prolonged search a plot of land measuring 10 acres in Jhankivillage, 23 kilometers south of the city on nationalhighway 30 and 6 kilometers from Naya Raipur the new capital city, was identifiedfor purchase. The 10 acres of land was registered in 2009 in the society's name. And a year later another half an acre was added to the property. The entire property was enclosed with the boundary wall in the following year under the supervision of Bro. Gabriel Lakra.

The construction of the schoolbuilding didn't start until 2013 when Bro. Philip Thadathil was appointed as the project in charge. He obtained required permissions from various departments to construct the school and the community building while he stayed at Jeevodaya with the Pallottines about 7 kilometers from the site. Finally, the construction was completed in 2017 and was blessed and inaugurated by Rt. Rev. Victor Henry Thakur the Archbishop of Raipur and Rev. Bro. Main V J the Provincial Superior respectively. The same year the school started from KG to class V with eighty students on roll. Soon three Sisters of Congregation of of St. John The Baptistjoined the Brothers in the school who were accommodated in the classrooms that were modified as living rooms in the school building. The following year fifty more new admissions took place.

In the year 2018 the Brothers received a piece of shocking and most unexpected news that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had notified the entire school property including the infrastructure for acquisition for road projects. The news spread all around like wildfire resulting in fewer admissionsin the following year fearing closure of the school. The same spree continued in the following years. The search for an alternate land for shifting the school has beenon ever since the notification by NHAI. Meanwhile, the school got affiliated with CBSE in 2020. The new admissions were further marred by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the school reached up to grade X with a total strength of 180 students. The first batch of 17 students of class X passed the exam of 2023 with flying colors.

The Sisters collaborating with the Brothers left the school on an open-ended contract amid the growing uncertain situation of the school as their condition of having a separate residence in the campus couldn't be fulfilled moreover the rooms they were staying in were required for classrooms.

Finally, the day had arrived when the curtain of the school that was brought up with great ambition and vision had to be brought downand 1st January 2023 will go into records as the dark day of thehistory of the school when the shocking announcement was made for the closure ofthe school with the completion of the academic year 2022-23 as the NHAI had completed all the formalities to take over the school property. Despite all possible efforts by the Brothers the property couldn't be saved from acquisition. Meanwhile, a plot of landmeasuring 7 acres aboutfive kilometers away from the school towardsthe city was purchased.

The school property was handed over to the NHAI on 1st May 2023. The Brothers moved to a rented house in Naya Raipur which is six kilometers away both from the school and the new land. Atpresent the acquisition ofrequired permissions for the construction of the new school and community buildings is underway.