Madrassa Funding row
Srinagar: State’s School Education Department has faced a query over alleged financial discrepancies and fraudulent beneficiaries in Madrassa funding in Jammu and Kashmir by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) after an application under Right to Information (RTI) Act was filed in office of the public information officer Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) on Monday.
Advocate Mudasir Naqshbandi and Advocate Firdous Ahmed Paray of Jammu and Kashmir High Court have filed an RTI application before Public Information Officer in the DSEK to get details about the amount of money received by DSEK from the Government of India for Madrassas of Kashmir region form last five years.
“We have also sought list of Madrassas which have received the money from the central government and also the details of organizations if any which have received the money,” Advocate, Mudasir Naqshbandi while talking to Kashmir Images, said.
“We have also sought details of the account numbers of these Madrassas and Organizations which have received the money,” added Naqshbandi.
The application has come at a time when the State is caught in a quagmire of corruption. Madrassa funding in Jammu and Kashmir by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has put the Department of School Education in the dock as most of the Madrassas incorporated in the list forwarded to the HRD Ministry have out-rightly denying having received any funding, while some institutions issued statements in local press denying any funding from central government.
In response to an RTI application, HRD Ministry had revealed that it had disbursed over Rs 5 crore to the Education department as financial assistance for 372 Madrassas during 2010 and allocated another over Rs 7 crore during 2011. However, Education department later ordered release of only Rs 3.47 crore for only 362 Madrassas.
However, the government through an Order (No 756-Edu of 2011), has done away with the condition that institutions seeking financial benefits under centrally sponsored scheme for providing quality education in Madrassas (SPQEM) shall be recognized and affiliated with the designated competent authority and also fulfill the conditions laid down under SRO 123 of 2010.
Though the Madrassas were not complying with the guidelines making them ineligible for assistance, the Education Department had forwarded their list to MHRD and received funding under their name which is yet to be released.
While the registration/affiliation clause was laid down in a preceding order (No 692-Edu of 2011) issued on December 9,2010, government came up with the corrigendum, soon after detail about the funding row were reported, violation of rules by the education department and discrepancies in the list of Madrassas forwarded to MHRD for funding surfaced.
Interestingly, the Education Department’s role had come under scanner after MHRD disclosed last December that it had allocated Rs 5.39 crore to state in 2010) under centrally sponsored scheme for providing quality education in Madrassas (SPQEM). Besides, in response to an RTI application, MHRD had revealed that other Rs 7 crore were allotted to JK for 372 Madrassas this year.
However, after Union Ministry released the list of 372 Madrassas which was forwarded to it by the state government, a conglomerate of more than 30 religious organizations- Muttahida Ulema Ahli Sunnat - operating dozens of schools in the Valley, had categorically refused having applied for or received any kind of funding under SPQEM. They had accused the education department of “fraud and embezzling” funds using their name.
Under fire Education Department headed by former minister Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed had ordered release of more than Rs 3 crore to 362 institutes while it had received funding for 372 Madrassas.
The controversy took a new twist when it came to fore that the Madrassas were not eligible for financial assistance as they were neither registered under Central or State Government Acts or Madrassa Boards or with the Wakf Boards or National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
However, the condition was done away with, silently. Interestingly one of the mandates of the District Level Verification Committees which were set up for verification of the Madrassas was to ascertain that the institutions are recognized and affiliated with the designated competent authority and also fulfill all the nine conditions laid down in the government order No 692-Edu of 2011.
Even three months after the funding row erupted there is no response from the education department about variation in the figures of funds received by JK (MHRD says it has released Rs 5.38 crore and Rs 7 crore while state government said it has released only Rs 3.47 crore) under the scheme, the disputed list of Madrassas and now the violation of set rules.
“The Directorate of School Education, Kashmir, has received verification of 140 Madrassas. But we are inquiring into all details before taking a final call on releasing funds to them,” sources said.
The Madrassas “verified” included 33 in Baramulla, 30 in Budgam, 27 in Srinagar, 14 in Kulgam, 7 each in Kupwara and Ganderbal, 6 in Pulwama, 5 in Shopian and 2 in Budgam.
Officials said of 362 Madrassas, 197 are in Kashmir valley and rest in Jammu.
