Probe Malpractices by CBSE Schools, LFAD Heads Told
Published: 30th October 2014 06:15 AM | Last Updated: 30th October 2014 08:57 AM | A+A A-
KOZHIKODE: The finding of the Kozhikode Local Fund Audit Department (LFAD) that unaided schools affiliated to the CBSE do not comply with the prevailing norms for paying salary to teachers, has become an eye-opener for the government.
Taking into account the report submitted by the LFAD, Kozhikode, the director of the state LFAD has given a directive to all district heads of the department to dig into the malpractice and mention the loss accrued by the government in terms of profession tax remittance by unaided CBSE school managements.
Kerala Local Fund Audit Department Director T J Varghese said: “The directive has been given on the basis of the finding by the LFAD, Kozhikode. Chances are high that the malpractice may exist in other districts as well, causing a major loss to the government.”
The director, had on October 23, 2014, forwarded the report to the CBSE regional director in Thiruvananthapuram, citing the irregularity in the pay scale of teachers and demanding appropriate action against the school managements.
It noted that the pay scale to teachers in the 29 schools of Kozhikode district “does not match the salary prescribed to be paid to the teachers as per the affiliation bylaw 2009, issued by the Central Government in the circular dated July 29, 2009.”“If the CBSE maintains that these schools are following the existing norms and regulations, action will be mooted against the managements as per the Kerala Panchayat Raj (Profession Tax) Rules 1996 for fudging documents given to the respective local bodies to evade profession tax,” he said.
Meanwhile, when contacted, CBSE Regional Officer Mahesh D Dharmadhikari feigned ignorance about receiving such a report from the LFAD. “I have not received such a report from the audit department,” he said.Asked further, the regional officer confirmed that the irregularity in pay scale was a violation of norms. However, he maintained that the state government itself could initiate action against the school managements, if necessary.
The irregularity was found out by the LFAD, Kozhikode, during the audit of profession tax collected by various gramapanchayats from the CBSE-affiliated schools within its limits in the 2013-14 fiscal. The management should recover and remit a proportionate amount, fixed by the government, as profession tax to the respective local body. As per law, schools affiliated to the CBSE must “pay salaries and admissible allowance to the staff not less than the pay and allowances enjoyed by the corresponding categories of employees in the state government or as per the pay scales prescribed by the Central Government.”