Online uploading of balance sheets flummoxes pvt schools in Chandigarh
Deepankar Sharda
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 13
The UT Education Department and local private schools are once again at loggerheads on the issue of uploading balance sheets and income expenditure on public platform.
Deadline extended to comply with fee act
- The UT Education Department has extended the last date of uploading balance sheets on official website by two more days, thereby giving private schools time to show compliance with the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions Act, 2016. Schools can now upload the documents till May 15.
- Two deadlines given by the department have been missed by private schools already. The first letter seeking details of balance sheets was sent on April 24 and schools were asked to submit details by April 30. On May 1, another letter was posted to schools and deadline was extended to May 8.
While the Independent Schools Association (ISA) maintained that they annually submit the required documents with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) office and District Education Officer (DEO), the department claimed that not all schools follow the exercise.
Both decide to extract information by approaching court, leaving parents wondering, who is at fault. “We submit all details pertaining to balance sheets and expenditure to CBSE and DEO office. Now, it’s hard to understand why they want us to make all these documents public. The administration is acting under pressure of some unrecognised association, which simply want to hog the limelight,” said HS Mamik, president, ISA. He further added, “We will surely take up the matter in court.”
Meanwhile, officials in the DEO office claimed that not all schools follow the exercise. “We have been asking them to provide details under the Unaided Educational Institution Act, 2016. If they have some problem, they should approach the court to take stay orders. But as of now, we want details and schools falling to provide will face consequences,” said an official, seeking anonymity. “Not all schools provide details. There are only one or two. We have our legal option open,” said DEO Alka Mehta.
The UT Education Department has sought reports on balance sheets and income expenditure of local private schools under the norms of the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institution Act, 2016. The balance sheets, to be made public to a clause in the Act, require the utilisation of funds for the betterment and development of the unaided educational institution. The department had set two different deadlines for schools to submit the above mentioned details, but till date only three schools have followed the instructions, informed a source.
