Nagpur: Edu dept helped parent cover RTE forgery says panel member

NAGPUR: Even as cases of financially stable parents forging documents for a free RTE seat in private schools have continued unabated even this year, role of education department officials has come under scanner after it was alleged that they helped a parent to cover his tracks after submitting a forged document.
The threat of legal prosecution, introduced this year through an undertaking form, has not deterred unscrupulous parents.
Education activist Shahid Sharif, who is also member of document verification committee, alleged that education department is aiding some parents.
Sharif said, “Instead of prosecuting a parent who had forged an income document, the education department helped him to cover his tracks. The parent had submitted an income certificate online, but there is no record of such a document being issued in the collectorate. Interestingly, the primary education department, which is looking after RTE, allowed the parent to submit a fresh document.”
Sharif claimed this was done with the approval of primary education officer Chintaman Vanjari.
Vanjari, however, denied there was any cover-up at his end. He said, “I do not deal with such cases. I have two deputy education officers who are specifically looking after RTE-related issues. But now that it has been brought to my notice, I will definitely look into this issue and inquire where the lapse, if any, has happened.”
The document verification committee has shortlisted a handful of cases where the parents have not yet backed out, despite being warned about their incorrect submissions.
Sharif said, “There are nine such cases. We have officially filed a complaint with the collector’s office and now will approach the police. Criminal prosecution of such parents is extremely important. Currently, everybody feels that neither school, nor verification committee nor the education department does anything. And that’s why we need to act against such parents.”
He added the written undertaking from parents, wherein they affirm the validity of all submitted documents, must be taken on stamp paper. “In the absence of guidelines for the declaration on stamp paper, parents are submitting the undertaking on plain paper. Unless it’s done on Rs100 stamp paper, there is no legal validity of the same,” said Sharif.