Early Times Report
Jammu, May 3: Contrary to tall claims of transparency and accountability, corruption is rampant in School Education Department.
Notwithstanding complaints to the Minister of State for Education by her own party colleagues, no action is being taken to check the corruption while the officers at the helm of affairs are openly challenging the complainants to seek action against them.
According to sources in School Education Department, vetting of private schools' results upto 8th standard in various districts of Jammu division, Summer Zone, is the new opportunity for the corrupt officials at CEO and ZEO offices to get their palms greased.
Rs 5000 or more for each school are being collected as bribe to clear the results by the concerned CEO offices while the ZEO offices are charging extra for the same, sources explained and added that in case of refusal to pay bribe, the schools are threatened of withholding of their results.
As some BJP leaders too own private schools and in view of the fact that their party is in Government with PriyaSethi being the Minister of State for Education, a verbal complaint regarding corruption for approval of results was lodged before the minister. Even as the minister was informed about the whole modus operandi and the names of the employees, who are acting as front men for receiving money to get the job done, no action was taken to check the illegal practice and punish the guilty, said a senior BJP leaders on the condition of anonymity, who also runs a private schools in Jammu.
Another well known BJP leader, who also own a private school, tried his best to get the result approved through his influence besides seeking intervention of the minister, could manage to save only Rs 1500 as the officials in CEO Office Jammu did the job after receiving Rs 3500, that too after telling him that the concession was madebecause of his being known to the minister thus conveying it very clear that the booty was being distributed from top to bottom. |
