Karnataka: CAG reports private schools charged Rs 345 crore extra during Covid 19

Belagavi ( Karnataka), Dec 12(PTI) The Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) in its report tabled in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday said that private schools in Karnataka charged students an excess fee of Rs 345.80 crore during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21.

This violates court orders, it said, pulling up the government for lacking any fee regulation. In its report on the functioning of primary educational institutions, CAG said, the Department of School Education and Literacy does not have any method to monitor the quantum of fees collected by the private unaided institutions.

The absence of oversight has resulted in violations of fee regulations, it further said, and was also critical of the government for not bringing online schools under a regulatory framework, which according to it creates division and disparity. The CAG in its another report on health said that Covid-19 drugs worth Rs 17.79 crore were not supplied to the government at the end of March 2022.

In all, the government had placed orders for drugs worth Rs 665 crore and there were delays ranging from one to 252 days in supplying drugs worth Rs 415 crore. There was also a delay up to 217 days to supply equipment worth Rs 288 crore, it said, adding that audit wasn't given supply details for equipment worth Rs 405 crore.

University bills in Karnataka

Eleven bills were introduced in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday, including the one to make the Chief Minister the chancellor of the Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) University, replacing the Governor in the role.

The Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was tabled in the Assembly, which amends the 2016 Act to make provisions for the Chief Minister to be the Chancellor and for appointment of the Vice Chancellor by the chancellor from the panel of three persons suggested by search committee, the bill said.

There is no extra expenditure involved in the proposed legislative measure.

The Karnataka cabinet had on November 28 approved a bill. The Governor is the Chancellor for all public universities in Karnataka. Currenlty, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot holds the post. Earlier in September, the Cabinet had decided to divest the Governor of the power to appoint the vice-chancellor of the RDPR University.

The opposition BJP had condemned the government's move, terming it as an "attempt to pollute" the higher education system.