RTI reveals school alumni bluffed Senior Secondary School Cheog about 10 lakhs donation
The Himachal Pradesh Department of Higher Education launched a new scheme during the previous BJP government to showcase meritorious alumni passed out from each senior secondary school by displaying their pride nameplates on the school premises.
The scheme named “Akhand Shiksha Joti Mere School Sai Nikle Moti” still displays the nameplates of meritorious students in the institutions from which they passed out. The scheme was launched in 2018 with fanfare and became popular in 2019. An amendment was also made to the scheme to require a minimum donation of Rs 5,000 from such alumni.
Some of the alumni were teachers themselves who bluffed the department by showcasing their popularity not only by virtue of their merit but by offering a liberal donation to their school.
A signboard or so-called Gurav Patt (pride plate) is being displayed in Government Senior Secondary School Cheog, where an alumnus donated Rs 10 lakh to his former school and currently holds the post of principal in another Senior Secondary school. Sh. Sandeep Kumar Sharma was depicted as the principal himself at GSSS Jathai, along with donors of Rs 10 lakh.
An RTI issued by the school said that, as per the school record, no entry for Rs 10,000,000.00 (Rs Ten Lakh only) donated by Sandeep Kumar Sharma is found in the school welfare fund. Cash book entries regarding the expenditure of ten lakhs are available in the school record, but no bills or vouchers are available in the school record.
Rakesh Kumar, an RTI activist, stated in a press release issued on Friday that Sandeep Sharma’s Rs ten lakh donation to Government Senior Secondary School, Chiyog had no information about a deposit of Rs ten lakh on September 5, 2019, in any account of the school.
Mr. Kumar said that he got this information under RTI. The information revealed that no bills or vouchers have been received regarding the spending on this donation. Therefore, there is no information about receiving 10 lakhs on the basis of records. RTI activists demanded a vigilante investigation into the matter. So that the truth comes before the people.
Mr. Sharma was recently transferred and posted at his former school, which is GSSS Cheog. Now he wants a third nameplate to be placed on the school’s premises, not only as an alumni or donor but as the principal of the very school where he studied himself.
On the day he was about to join his order, a melodrama also happened in the school as suddenly his posting was canceled against the incumbent ladies principal of the school, who is still on her post.
SK Sharma tried to lodge a protest along with localities to restore him to his childhood school. The principal, cum philanthropist Alumai, threatens to parade in the school till restoring his order, along with a few parents of children.
Some people who claimed themselves to be the parents of students had warned the lady principal to seek postings away from this school, failing which they would not allow their kids to come to the school.
The issue got a bold headline in the media for a few days, but the state government did not buzz. Now interesting information came to light, which showed that S K Sharma never donated Rs 10 lakh to GSSS Cheog, where he is keen to get posted. State agencies are expected to take the next call. Moreover, staff shared information with us that an audit team is analyzing previous school records to reveal the truth.
Now the big question needs to be answered by the school authorities and department: how two name plates could be placed in the school on the Garav Patt and School Inauguration Plate if the Principal and philanthropic alumni did not pay Rs ten lakh to the school or department? Interestingly, Mr. Sharma was also given a commendation prize by the governor as an outstanding teacher.
