About 3,83,203 students remained deprived of government scheme benefits due to the unavailability of bank accounts required for the disbursement of funds, the audit report dated November 11, 2023, stated.
Financial benefits not received by 48.74 per cent students studying in Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) schools! According to an official Audit Report by the Department of Education, nearly 3.8 lakh students or 48.74 per cent of students in Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) schools have not received financial benefits under various schemes run by the government from 2016-2017 to 2022-2023.
About 3,83,203 students remained deprived of government scheme benefits due to the unavailability of bank accounts required for the disbursement of funds, the audit report dated November 11, 2023, stated
In 2016-2017, the MCD decided that since students have separate bank accounts, the funds under these government schemes will be sent to them through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
The audit report stated that the target of 100 per cent generation of Aadhaar cards for opening bank accounts, set by the MCD's Education Department, could not be achieved. According to the report, only around four lakh (4,03,003) of the total of over seven lakh (7,86,205) students have opened their bank accounts.
Apart from this, despite having Aadhaar cards, over one lakh (1,36,599) students did not open their bank accounts.
"Due to lack of proper mechanism and proper monitoring of data related to bank accounts of students registered in the school, the financial benefits given by the department under various schemes could not reach the students. Not receiving money for these schemes is a violation of the Right to Education Act, 2009," the audit report said.
The audit report was prepared by the MCD's Office of Chief Auditor. It is a statutory body that examines the accounts of the municipal body every month and sends its report to the Standing Committee.
Under various government schemes, students of MCD are given money directly into their bank accounts, including cash subsidies for uniforms, school bags, scholarships and stationery to avoid malpractice and misappropriation of funds. Earlier, a school headmaster used to get the funds and distribute them among the students of the respective MCD schools.
In order to resolve the issue, the civic body has been asked to issue guidelines to all the schools that they should open bank accounts in advance and sign MOUs with the banks so that the process can be made easier.
The audit report said that MCD should start opening bank accounts during the financial year 2023-2024, beginning April, and set a deadline of June 30 to complete the process.
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