JK: Education minister says original proposal never intended to take over JeI, FAT-linked schools

Srinagar, Aug 23 (PTI) Hours after the Jammu and Kashmir government ordered the takeover of 215 schools affiliated with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), Education Minister Sakina Itoo on Saturday said the original proposal was that cluster principals would look after them and not the deputy commissioners.

The minister said the draft approved by her mentioned that the cluster principals would look after these schools, contrary to the order issued by the School Education Department Secretary, an IAS officer who reports to the LG.

In an order issued late Friday evening, the Secretary ordered the takeover of the schools, which were run by the JeI and its affiliate Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT).

The order said the management of such schools will be taken over by the district magistrates/deputy commissioners, who shall then propose a fresh management committee.

However, hours later, the Education Minister clarified that the original proposal by the department was not what the order said.

In a video message, Itoo said, "Unfortunately, people are spreading rumours that the Education Department has taken over the FAT schools." She said the management committees of these 215 schools had received negative CID verification six to eight years back and, as such, were left in the lurch.

"Students and people used to approach us regularly as they faced problems at the time of board examinations. The Board (J&K Board of School Education) did not accept them.

"So, the Education Department had decided that the nearest cluster principals would look after these schools in which over 51,000 students were enrolled," she said.

"Students, teachers and structures would remain as such, only nearest principals will look after them till new management committees were formed," the minister added.

She said the decision was taken to safeguard the future of the students in these schools.

"That was our proposal, but when the order was issued, it was mentioned that the deputy commissioners will look after and frame management committees and some other things, which was not our proposal," she said.

The minister said she had sent an approved note of the order to the Secretary, asking him to frame the order accordingly. However, that has not happened, she added. PTI SSB AMJ AMJ