Karnataka private schools overcharge ₹345 crore during COVID-19 pandemic: CAG report

Private unaided schools in Karnataka collected an excess fee of ₹345.80 crore from students in the 2020-21 academic year, violating court directives.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in a report tabled in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday, revealed significant lapses in the education and health sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The absence of oversight enabled violations of fee regulations(HT_PRINT)

Private unaided schools in Karnataka collected an excess fee of ₹345.80 crore from students in the 2020-21 academic year, violating court directives, the CAG report said, PTI reported. It criticised the state government for its failure to regulate school fees and highlighted that the Department of School Education and Literacy lacked mechanisms to monitor the fees charged by private institutions.

The absence of oversight enabled violations of fee regulations, the report noted. It also raised concerns about the lack of a regulatory framework for online schools, stating that this omission created divisions and disparities in the education system.

Delays in Covid-19 drugs and equipment

In a separate report on health, the CAG flagged inefficiencies in the supply of COVID-19 drugs and equipment. It revealed that drugs worth ₹17.79 crore were not supplied to the government as of March 2022, despite placing orders totaling ₹665 crore.

Delays were observed in the delivery of drugs worth ₹415 crore, with delays ranging from 1 to 252 days. Similarly, there were delays of up to 217 days in supplying medical equipment worth ₹288 crore. The CAG added that it was not provided with supply details for equipment worth ₹405 crore, raising concerns about accountability and transparency in procurement processes.

The reports underline systemic gaps in oversight and regulation, calling for urgent reforms in both the education and health sectors.