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| Bisco, Mallinson possess 85 kannals of state land | | `No rent paid to Govt for 35 years' | |  Early Times Report
Srinagar, Aug 23: Fleecing the parents in the name of admission fee, tution fee, sports fee etc, the Bisco and Mallinson schools have not paid any rent since 1980 for around 85 kannals of state land they possess. Information obtained under RTI Act has revealed that a prominent missionary school Tyndale Biscoe and Mallinson school Sheikh Bagh Srinagar have not paid any rent towards the Government from the last 35 years for the state land which has been leased out to this school decades back.
Information sought by Umar Javaid who is associated with Jammu & Kashmir RTI Movement has exposed the Government as well which according to RTI reply says that fixation of rent is under consideration of Government.
The RTI reply from Tehsildar Nazool Srinagar under letter No: 91/RTI/CAN dated 27.8.2013 reads says that Biscoe and Mallinson School which occupy 84 kanals and 11 marlas of land in Sheikh Bagh Lal Chowk area of Srinagar are not paying any rent towards the Government since 1980. The present market value of this property is estimated to be more than 700 crores and non payment of annual rent amounts to direct loss to state exchequer.
Pertinent to mention missionary / Government aided private schools continue to deny information under Right to Information Act (RTI and recently the State Information Commission (SIC) has directed these school authorities to submit rejoinder within 10 days.
The RTI appellant has also been asked to submit a rejoinder so as to prove how these schools are public authorities under J&K RTI Act 2009.
During the case hearing before Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) G R Sufi here on Tuesday the CIC heard the counsels of Tyndale Biscoe School Srinagar , Burn Hall School , Presentation Convent, Delhi Public School (DPS) Srinagar etc. The appellant was also present.
An RTI query was filed by Umar Javaid a Right to Information activist in July 2013 before all the aforementioned schools including Biscoe and Mallinson School . Umar had sought details on the total state land under the possession of missionary schools in Srinagar including DPS Srinagar.
Javaid had also asked these schools to provide information on the total number of students enrolled with them, details of their admission fee, details of monthly fee, total number of staff and their salary structure. But the management of these schools had categorically denied to reveal the information, arguing that the J&K RTI Act 2009 doesn't cover private school establishments, as they don't fall under the public authority category which is mandatory for any institute to come under the purview of the said act.
"All missionary schools in Valley are recognized by Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education, which is a constitutionally ordained body. They follow the syllabi formulated by JK BOSE and in addition to it these schools are provided hundreds of kanals of state land by the Government on nominal annual rent hence they are a public authority," said Umar Javaid, while talking to Early Times few days ago.
As Umar Javaid's RTI application was rejected he the approached the State Information Commission (SIC) which asked him to explain 'how private schools are public authority institutions. Many activists see the refusal of private missionary schools in Valley to furnish information as a blatant disregard to law. "It is a tightly knit nexus between the missionary schools who enjoy the patronage of State and influential politicians and bureaucrats " said Shahid Ahmad a Srinagar resident.
RTI Activist Umar Javaid has demanded that Biscoe, Mallinson School should be either asked to pay rent as per market rate or it should give free education to at least 30 % of the students hailing from Below Poverty Line (BPL) category. This is the money of ordinary tax payers of the state ,
"How can these schools be exempted from paying rent while as they earn millions every month, " Umar questioned the Government. |
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