Over the past one year, J&K state government has drawn heavy criticism from locals on several instances for failing to rehabilitate flood survivors who suffered massively in September last year.
On the anniversary of one of the worst disasters that had hit the valley in past century, Kashmir valley observed a complete shutdown two months back as protesters claimed that compensation never reached the needy.
Meanwhile, it’s not just the flood package which is overdue at government’s end. A year back, students from Class 1 to 9 and class 11 in government schools across valley were made to submit examination fees ahead of devastating floods. Yet even after orders of mass promotion soon followed, the examination fees never got refunded by state education department for majority of these students, as revealed by official documents.
Following the floods, a major portion of education infrastructure got devastated in the valley and students were given a breather of three months. The exams were scheduled to be held in March; however, subsequent assembly polls and swine flu scare finally prompted an announcement of mass promotion by the government. The government decided to conduct the exams for Classes 10 and 12.
In reply to an RTI, filed by Umar Javid, it was revealed that as many as 9,795 students from different schools, under the jurisdiction of ZEO Quilmuqam, paid an amount of Rs 1,05,200 as examination fee for class 8, Rs 82,604 for class 9 students and Rs 2,96,570 for class 11.The documents show that no amount was refunded. Here are some other details revealed in the RTI.
At Government Boys High School, Nagam, as many as 55 students were mass promoted, as per official records, and, an amount of Rs 7,680 was collected as fees with 55 percent of the amount deposited at District Institute of Education & Training (DIET), Sopore.
Similarly at Boys High School in Takiyabal, Sopore, an amount of Rs 11,960 was collected from students as examination fees but none of it was refunded.
The Government Higher Secondary school for Boys at Sopore collected an amount of Rs 1,69,930 from more than 300 students of class 8-9 and class 11 and an amount was deposited at DIET Sopore as per the order of SIE Srinagar.
As we got in touch with Education Minister Naeem Akhtar to seek clarification in this regard, he said that it won’t be viable now to return the fees. Further, Director Education Department Dr Shah Faisal tried to assure that the collected amount will be used for activities related to student welfare.
