Scheme for destitute students ill-planned: Coaching centres

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 3

The Coaching Centres Association in Kashmir today accused the government of harassing them “over one or other issue” and creating confusion regarding certain policies.

The association president, Junaid Yousuf, in a press conference on Wednesday, said either they should be exempted from paying 18 per cent GST or they should not be forced to provide free services to 10 per cent students.

“The 10-per cent free quota allocated for orphans and destitute children was already being filled by coaching institutes from the beginning of the session. Now, the Directorate of Education has again enlisted students eligible for free education in the month of December,” he said.

Members said the step was “ill-planned” as they ended up giving free coaching to 20 per cent students.

“To make matters worse, the coaching centres are already paying 18 per cent of the GST and also provide 10 per cent free services. The government has to come clear on this ambiguity,” said the general secretary of the association, Lateef Masoodi.

The members said they would take up these issues with the J&K High Court also. They demanded that they be allowed to make the list of students who would be given free education and not the government, saying they doubted that there was any transparency in the practice.

“Some students from sound backgrounds are taking the benefit of free coaching that is meant for the destitute children because they have been given a letter by the government without proper verification. We want that we should be allowed to select the students and we will provide the list to the government which they can verify,” said a member.

The coaching centres also expressed their resentment with the government for not taking action against unregistered coaching centres.

“Registered coaching centres are inspected and harassed every year but no action is taken against the unregistered ones,” said a member.

They said the government should clear confusions regarding its policies and coaching centres should be allowed to function without any harassment.