New Delhi

`133 societies ignored quota clause'

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: As many as 133 of 381 societies allotted land at concessional rates by the Delhi Development Authority had failed to provide the stipulated 25 per cent reservation for children from the weaker sections as of March 2004, the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India has said. It said that the DDA had to unnecessarily forgo additional revenue totalling Rs 125.15 crores in 24 of these schools plots -- which had been taken up for detailed scrutiny -- as they had not been allotted at commercial rates.

Stating that the DDA allots land to educational institutions at concessional rates subject to certain mandatory terms and conditions, the report said the primary purpose of such allotment was provision of educational facilities particularly to weaker sections of society. However, the CAG said the audit ascertained that of the 24 functional schools selected for audit, 19 were extending no reservation or free classes to the students from the weaker sections while five schools had provided reservation or free classes only to the extent of three per cent to 20 per cent against the mandatory 25 per cent. Hence none of the schools were found complying with the conditions.

Importantly, the report said that due to this non-compliance not only was the social objective of land at concessional rates to provide educational opportunities to the weaker sections defeated, but the DDA also had to unnecessarily forgo additional revenue of Rs 125.15 crores in just these 24 plots.

In addition to these 24 cases, the CAG report said, the Directorate of Education identified another 109 cases where the condition of reservation of seats for the weaker sections was violated. No reservation had been provided in 69 cases while it varied between one per cent and 24 per cent in the remaining 40 cases. This 66 per cent of the total of 133 functional schools were not adhering to the terms and conditions of the allotment relating to reservation for the weaker sections as of March 2004. Putting the approach of both DDA and Directorate of Education in perspective, the report noted that while in pursuance of the directions of the Delhi High Court of January 20, 2004, the Directorate of Education forwarded in April 2004 a list of these 133 schools to the DDA for taking necessary action and subsequently the DDA issued show cause notices to 55 defaulting societies in June 2004 and to 76 societies in September 2004 directing them to respond within 15 days.

However, even when not one of these 131 defaulting schools responded to the notices, neither the DDA nor the Directorate initiated any action to enforce the terms of allotment till compelled to take notice of the breaches by the High Court.

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