High Court voices concern on political figures running schools

Orders registration of FIR against a trust, which operates the school for special children

Taking note of the fact that certain ‘influential’ persons obtain licences to run schools and later end up wasting the government money, the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court recently refused to grant any relief to a trust. The HC even directed registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against the trust for producing false inspection reports, which were allegedly in their favour.

The trust — Gramin Shikshan Prasarak Mandal, was granted a licence in 2004 to run a school for special children at Latur district. The trust continued to run this aided school, however, in 2012, the government refused to renew the licence. Subsequently, the registration of the trust was cancelled and the school was handed over to a Kolhapur-based trust.

Aggrieved by this action, the trust petitioned a division bench of Justices Tanaji Nalawade and Sunil Kotwal, challenging the action of the government. The bench, while hearing the matter, noted the fact that the registration was cancelled on the ground that the school was not run properly and during surprise inspections, it was often found to be shut. The concerned authority even raised doubt over the strength of the students shown on the record. The bench also noted the fact that the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff was not approved.

“The object of starting such institutions is to give an opportunity to the persons, who are interested in doing social work and only when there is such an intention, they can be allowed to run such institutions. The special children cannot explain or express the difficulties, they face when persons like petitioners manage the school. It is never desirable to allow such persons to run such schools,” Justice Nalawade said while dismissing the trust’s plea.

The bench while dealing the matter, further noted the fact that usually such trusts, are run by political figures and there is no check on how these schools are being operated.

“It is bad but it is fact that many times the registration and the licences are issued in favour of the persons who are either political figures or the workers of the political figures. Even when there is no infrastructure, the licences are issued and the schools get money from the government under the name of grants,” Justice Nalawade noted in his order.

“That is why a huge staff is shown to be appointed, even when the staff is not competent for such schools. Because of all this, the government disallows new schools as it involves incurring of more financial liability,” the bench added.

Accordingly, the judges dismissed the petition filed by the trust.