A total of 305 bogus schools have been closed in the Tarai after the Commission for the Investigation and Abuse of Authority (CIAA) launched a massive investigation against such schools since January, the anti-graft watchdog said in a statement on Tuesday.
Acting on hundreds of complaints, the CIAA initiated action against such schools in the region six months ago.
The CIAA stated that a total of 737 schools have been investigated in the region so far. “Even today we are investigating over 600 bonus schools in the Tarai,” CIAA Spokesman Shreedhar Sapkota told Republica.
The CIAA investigation has revealed that there are still more than 220 fake schools in the region.
“Thirty cases have been filed. Similarly, 100 persons have been convicted in this connection,” the CIAA said. Altogether 90 schools have been merged due to lack of sufficient resources and infrastructure in the Tarai following the CIAA´s investigation, the statement further said.
“Generally one school comprises 163 students and Rs 8,000 is allocated per student,” the CIAA statement added. “Thus, we have been able to save Rs 515,060,000 of the budget allocated for these schools. We hope that our efforts will help protect the rights to education of our children.”
Meanwhile, the CIAA has registered three separate graft cases against six persons at the Special Court on Tuesday.
The CIAA said that a charge sheet has been filed against chairman of school management committee, Sushil Prasad Shrestha and Principal, Navin Kumar Yadav of Community Primary School at Shreepur 6 in Sarlahi for embezzling school funds.
Similarly the duo are charged with submitting fake documents for the purpose of establishing a bogus school.
The CIAA registered the case against the two in line with Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act-2002. It has also sought a fine of Rs 752,969 from the accused and a maximum punishment.
Similarly, the CIAA moved the court against Bashantalal Yadav, a teacher at Bisheswor Prasad Primary School in Sonbarsa of Banke district for submitting fake School Leaving Certificate acquired from Intermediate Education Council, Utterpradesh of India in 2000 to enter the job. The CIAA has sought maximum punishment in line with the anti-corruption act.
The anti-graft body has filed yet another case at the Special Court against Chairperson of School Management Committee, Ashok Kumar Yadav and Principal Kamal Dev Raya of Madhesi Community Primary School at Salempur-4 of Sarlahi district for embezzling the government funds allocated for buying text books, stationery as well as for salary allocation, scholarship and public audit in the fiscal years 2008/09 to 2013/14.
The CIAA has sought a total fine of Rs 2,061,259 and maximum punishment for the accused.
Source: myrepublica
