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| Rs 1.2 cr scam surfaces in SIE | | Rs 100 each taken from 1.2 lakh students, not refunded despite mass promotion | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Dec 13: A whopping Rs 1.2 crore scam has surfaced in the State Institute of Education (SIE) here as the exam fee taken from students of class 8th for final examination last year was not refunded even though they were given "mass promotion" in the wake of floods.
Some officials of the SIE and the other concerned in the Directorate of School Education Kashmir are believed to have grabbed this money to make personal fortunes and to throw lavish Kebab-Kanti and Wazwan parties, which continue to be held till date at such Government offices.
The SIE Srinagar conducts the annual class 8th examinations for entire Kashmir province including Kargil and Leh districts. Last year, around 1,19,000 students were scheduled to appear in the exam while a fee of Rs 100 each was collected from them by the SIE.
This way, the exam fee collected totalled to a whopping Rs One Crore and 19 lakhs. But following the massive floods of September 2014, which devastated many parts of the state particularly Kashmir, the exams were not held and subsequently the students were given "mass promotion". The refund, however, was not made.
Though students and their parents asked the SIE to refund the money, the demand was never fulfilled as the officials kept dilly-dallying the issue on one pretext or the other. "Basically as Rs 100 seems to be too less an amount, most of the parents didn't pursue the case much but children of poor families keep requesting for the refund though their pleas fell on deaf ears," said an insider in the Education department.
A parent said he stopped seeking refund as he had to spend Rs 200 to visit the SIE office at Bemina from time to time. "When I found that I have spend more money on travel and phone calls than what is needed to be refunded, I thought it was better to stop looking for refund," said a parent.
Insiders said that, finding the request for refund diminishing with each passing day, the SIE and other officials realized it was opportune to grab this money to make personal fortune.
Official sources said the money was subsequently distributed among the officials SIE, District Institutes of Education Technology (DIET) and the offices of the Chief Education Officers of various districts of Kashmir province. "Each office managed to grab around Rs ten lakhs," the sources said. Since then while officials have allegedly grabbed major portion of money into their accounts, the remaining sum is being spend on parties. Sources said monthly Wazwan parties are held at SIE Bemina office, DIET offices and the offices of the CEOs, out of this money.
Honestly speaking as the exam was not conducted, the fee should have been refunded to students. "But it is being used for the tea parties and luxuries of concerned officers i.e DIET Principals and SIE Principal who little realize that it is the hard earned money of the poor parents," said a senior official in know of the matter.
Sources said even though the matter was brought into the notice of Education Minister Naeem Akhter and the Director Education Shah Faesal, but they didn't initiate any inquiry into the matter.
Officials said it would be impossible to refund the fee as most of the money has been spent to raise personal fortune.s "This money can never be refunded unless the Government hands over the case to some credible investigating agency like the Crime Branch or the VOK," said an official in the Education Department.
When contacted the Principal SIE Suriaya Begum admitted that the money has been taken in the name of examination fee but said it could not be refunded. "Fee cannot be refunded … We have spent considerable amount on setting papers etc. Moreover, all the money is not with us. From each student SIE only took Rs 20 whereas Rs 35 were taken by DIET and Rs 45 Cluster heads," the principal told Early Times.
On being told that how could the authorities grab this money, she said: "Then we'll try to look into the matter." She said the amount taken by the SIE was not that big an issue. |
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