“Presentation Convent School pays Rs 12000 per annum for 95 kanals while Burnhall School pays Rs 100 per kanal for land leased out to it. Biscoe school only pays Rs 1000 for the land allotted to it.”
SRINAGAR: The authorities in Kashmir have asked all private schools running on leased land to specify their nature, as in whether they are charitable institutions established for a non-profitable purpose or not.
Schools running on leased land in Kashmir are bound by the stipulations under Land Grants Act, 1960.
As per section 4 of the Act, every school is supposed to be a registered charitable society established for a non-profitable purpose.
The defaults on the part of School administration can lead to the termination of the lease.
“They are answerable to public and as such they should keep all information available. They should keep audited account of their organizations on school website so that people get to access it readily.”
‘Peanuts’
The agency reports that there are hundreds of kanals of land leased to several private schools in the Srinagar and they are paying virtually peanuts. Most of these schools charge hefty sums as admission fees and other things.
“If sources are to be believed, Presentation Convent School pays Rs 12000 per annum for 95 kanals while Burnhall School pays Rs 100 per kanal for land leased out to it.
“It is no different for Biscoe also as the school only pays Rs 1000 for the land allotted to it.”
The agency reports, quoting sources, that the lease holders are mostly non-state subjects and they have been allotted land only after specifying that they are charitable organizations.
Meanwhile, the Divisional Commissioner also categorically rejected the allegations by one of the Private schools — Presentation Convent School — that it was being harassed and its construction was stopped without any reason.
Pertinently, an official statement here said that the school is running from the Nazool land under the lease hold rights which expire on September 18, 2017.
The statement said that on coming to know that a new construction was coming up without the permission of the Nazool department, school management was asked to produce relevant documents which they failed so far.
Subsequently the School authorities were asked to stop the work on July 7 through the law enforcing agency.
The school, according the statement, come up with the notice and put the children to trouble by closing down the classes on July 8.
Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Dr G N Qasba also confirmed that permission granted to the school in July 2012 was put to abeyance in December for want of other legal formalities including the NOC from Nazool.
“Carrying out construction without any valid orders is a violation and they should go by norms,” he added.
