An inspection report of the audit of the office of the UT director school education (DSE) between 2021 and 2024 has found some incidental irregularities which the body has asked to be resolved.
In this period, the charge of the DSE was held by Rubinderjit Singh Brar from April 1 to September 1, 2021, Palika Arora from September 2, 2021, to May 24, 2022, and Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar from May 25, 2022, onwards.
As per the audit findings, the non-submission of annual fee statement by unaided recognised schools has been flagged. As per Section 5 of the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions Act, 2016, extended to the UT, fee can be increased not more than 8% of the previous year fee by taking into account the need to generate funds to run the institutions. Further, Section 19 of the ibid Act states that every unaided educational institution shall prepare its annual report by a qualified CA giving full accounts of its fee received during the previous academic year and forward a copy to the regulatory body.
While checking the records it was noticed that the management of the private unaided recognised schools were not submitting the annual report in this way. Further, it was noticed that the department also did not insist the schools to submit their annual report in respect of fee charged from students during an academic year.
{{/usCountry}}While checking the records it was noticed that the management of the private unaided recognised schools were not submitting the annual report in this way. Further, it was noticed that the department also did not insist the schools to submit their annual report in respect of fee charged from students during an academic year.
{{/usCountry}}“This shows that the department is not monitoring the fee structure of private recognised schools, and it could not be ensured in audit that unaided recognised private schools were charging fee as per norms,” the audit observed.
The audit also pointed out that a senior assistant employed by the office has been posted in other departments like in the UT estate office and the UT finance department since February 2017. However, the salary and other allowances are being drawn from the office of the DSE which the audit termed irregular expenditure.
The non-compliance of General Financial Rules provisions regarding unserviceable items and conduct of physical verification was also flagged. The audit noted that 164 obsolete or unserviceable items were found lying in the department for over a year which haven’t been disposed of, causing loss of revenue to the government. It was also flagged that physical verification of fixed assets/consumables must be done once a year, but it was not conducted during the audit period.
Letter issued to principals regarding annual fee report
Meanwhile, the department has already started to act on the report. The DSE has sent a letter to all the principals regarding non-submission of annual fee report as flagged by the audit with the objection for the schools to see. All schools have been directed to submit the annual report to the district education officer (DEO) for 2022-23 by August 31. Further, the annual report for each financial year must be submitted by September 30 of the next financial year. The DEO will ensure the compliance of this and will not submit extension of affiliation to the affiliating board till this condition is met. Earlier, schools were submitting details about hike in fee so that the department could monitor if the hike is below 8% but the full account was not being submitted as an annual report. As per officials, there haven’t been any major complaints from parents over hike beyond 8% in the recent years.
Further, to conduct physical verification as highlighted by the report, a six-member committee has been formed under deputy director school education 3 to conduct the physical verification and submit its report by August 9, 2024. DSE Brar said that they will go by the report and ensure that the issues highlighted are resolved.