Govt set to hire 40 CAS to audit pvt schools’ records
NEWDELHI: The Delhi government will engage 40 charted accountants (CAS) to audit the financial statements of about 1,700 private schools for the past three years.
The government will finalise the names of the auditors by the end of this month.
The aim is to stop “unnecessary” fee hike by schools in Delhi.
In December, the government announced that it would audit the accounts of all private unaided recognised schools after it received complaints from parents about unnecessary fee hikes.
The report by the CAS will be sent to officials of the Directorate of Education (DOE) to give final nod for fee hike, if required.
“We are in the process of hiring the CA firms and CAS. We will need around 40 CAS and the auditing will start by next month,” an official from the private school branch in DOE said.
The official said after the CAS submit their reports then a copy will be sent to the school for their response. “After going through the report and the comments of the school, the DOE will take the final call on whether fee hike needs to be there,” the official said. The official said the process will be finished before the next academic session starts in April.
Last year, the government had conducted audit of around 150 private schools, which were built on Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA’S) land. Schools build on DDA land need government permission for any fee hike.
The government had found in the audit of these schools that many institutions siphoned off money collected through fees.
“Many schools (DDA) were found to have spent huge amount of money on developing school building even though various court orders have made it clear that the schools can only spend on furniture, fixture and equipment. Some schools have also done construction of other buildings under the society using school fees,” Atishi Marlena, advisor to education minister Manish Sisodia had said.
Marlena said the Delhi School Education Act and Rules (DSEAR) 1973 allows for conducting audit of private schools if the DOE director is not satisfied with the fee estimate given by the school.