To, Date: 08/08
Shri. Lalu Prasad Yadav
The Honorable Railway Minister
Department of Railway Ministry
New Delhi 110011
Sub.: Mismanagement at Mahila Samiti English High School, Thakurli
Refer: 1) Our Letter dated 14/2 to Hon. General Manager, Central Railway, Mumbai
CST.
2) Our Complaint dated 9th June to Hon. General Manager, Central Railway,
Mumbai CST.
3) Our reminder dated 22nd July to Hon. General Manager, Central Railway,
Mumbai CST.
Dear Sir,
This is further to our letter dated 14/2 to your goodself & to other various Railway officers at Mumbai C.S.T., regarding the mismanagement in Mahila Samiti English High School, Thakurli & Mahila Samiti Trust, Bara Bunglow, Station Road, Thakurli (East), Post Dombivli Dist. Thane, Maharashtra state, Pin – 421201, We regret to inform you that we have not received any response either from your office nor from any other above mentioned officers.
Sir, the matter is so serious that it is affecting the career of 2400 children & 80 Teachers. It is always heard that you do not tolerate mismanagement & made your dept. hi-tech (we have seen in the T.V.), but in the above case, surprisingly it has missed your attention, may be because of your busy schedule.
We humbly request you to take some time out from your busy schedule & give your personal attention to the above matter.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Thanking You
On behalf of Parents of Mahila Samithi English High School, Thakurli
--Sd--
Rabindranath Ghatak
Enclosed All the Complaint letters sent to various Departments
To, Dt. 9-Jun-08
The General Manager
Central Railway
Mumbai CST,
Respected Madam,
Sub: Mismanagement in Mahila Samithi School, Thakurli
****
We, the members of Mahila Samithi, Staff of Mahila Samithi School and PTA Members, Thakurli wish to bring to your kind notice, irregularities and mismanagement by the managing committee comprising of Railway Officers and Supervisors.
I. A brief background of the Trust and school
1. Mahila Samithi is a trust formed by the wives of Officers and Employees working in the
Thakurli Power House and residing the vicinity areas such as Thakurli, Dombivli and
Kalyan with properly constituted Rules and regulations and as per clause of Mahila
Samiti constitution duly registered with Charities Commissioner Thane. (Annexure ‘A’).
As per convention, wife of the Dy. CEE/ Addl. CEE of the PH was the President of this
committee being the senior most officer in the Area. The day to day affairs of the trust
has to be managed by an elected body from amongst the members of the Trust. (Para VI
(1) of Annexure ‘A’).
2. Mahila Samithi School, Thakurli is an educational institution developed and promoted by
the earliest members of Mahila Samithi, Thakurli in the year 1956 for meeting the
educational needs of the children of Railway employees also to certain extent for the
residents of this area, which was lacking good schooling system. The affairs of the school
are looked after by Managing committee through a nominated sub committee under the
charge of one of the executive or non-executive member (Para VI (4) of Annexure ‘A’).
3. For the past few years, the management affairs of the Mahila Samithi and Mahila Samithi
School, Thakurli have been forcibly taken over by male some Railway Officers and
Supervisors, (One of the AEE is staying in the old Railway quarter which are lying vacant
after the power house closed down 1987) violating the spirit of the rules and regulation of
the Trust. This erosion has taken place especially after there was no officer in the
administrative rank (after the closer of power house), who could have looked after the
welfare of the Trust and School. The only exception provided for the under the rules is Co-
opting male Railway employees in advisory capacity. (Para VIII (2)(e) of Annexure ‘A’).
II. The School and its affairs
1. The School premises and the open ground admeasuring 5579.57m2 has been leased to
the trust for a period of 30 Years commencing from 19-04-1974 and the same expired in
the year 2004 and since then the status of its further extension not know. According to
informed sources a further extension of 20 years has been sought from the Mumbai
Division Administration of Central Railway by the Mahila Samithi School, Thakurli.
2. The trust is liable to pay approx. Rs. 25 lakhs to the Railway Administration on account of
land license fee to the Railway Administration.
3. The school presently has strength of 2500 students and staff strength of 80. The school is
reputed in the neighborhood and was one of the first English medium school in a radius of
2 KMs when it was started. The school has maintained high standards and affiliated to the
Maharashtra State Board and also achieving the distinction of having state merit list
holders.
4. The School attracts a lot of students who are wards of Railway employees residing in the
Thakurli, Dombivli and Kalyan areas presently numbering 500-600 approximately, thereby
indicating the fact that preferential treatment is given to Railway employees seeking
admission in this school.
III. The Mismanagement of Trust and School
1. The present Managing committee governing the Trust and the school is not an authorized
body since the same has not been approved by the charity commissioner (Annexure ‘B’).
2. A General Body meeting of the Trust was called on 22-07. However instead of
holding meeting as per rules and regulation, selection of Management committee was
announced whereas there should have been election and concluded the meeting. No
minutes of the meeting were drawn. To protest against this arbitrary decision, members
protested and drew their own minutes with the signatures of all present. (Annexure ‘C’). A
written complaint was also lodged with the Charity Commissioner highlighting the above
incident. (Annexure ‘D’).
3. Accounts and Audited financial statements of the trust and school last submitted up to the
year 1991 and thereafter no effort made for preparation and submission to the Charity C Commissioner.
4. There is no transparency in the financial matters, thereby raising suspicion of malafide
intention of funds siphoning and misuse. Although fees is collected on regular basis, its
utilization development of school is not is perceptibly noticed. In order to pay land license
fee to Railway administration, a special fee has been collected from the students,
however it is not remitted to the Railways, which has further created doubts about
misutilisation of money.
5. The present managing committee has little or no knowledge about management of school,
neither of administration, nor in the academic spheres reflecting poorly in the general
perception of outsider’s views. This is resulting in the bad publicity and withdrawal
of students to other schools.
6. The infrastructure available in the school in form of open playground space is grossly
misutilised by giving on rent and not remitting the earnings to Railway administration. The
school building and its assets are not maintained properly.
7. The female staff of the school is always ill treated by the managing committee members.
there is always unrest between the teaching staff and the management.
8. Due to constant consternations between the teaching staff and management, the
teaching staff is just able to conduct classes without any improvement / progress in the
educational field nor in the activities like sports or culture, which is needed for all round
development of students.
9. There is a general failure in the administration of school affairs like appointment of
Teachers, promotions to Teachers and monitoring of day to day activities without a proper
supervision and direction from an enlightened management.
10. Attempts by the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) to have a meaningful discussion for
improvements in the school is neither heeded nor attended by the management. Various
representations submitted to school and management have never been replied.
(Annexure ‘E’)
11. Frustrated by the stubborn and negative attitude, PTA has even represented the matter
to District Education Officer and various other institutions to highlight the mismanagement
(Annexure ‘F’). Several applications filed under RTI by the PTA has revealed that the last
approved management committee by Charity Commissioner was in year 2000 (Annexure
‘G’ & ‘H’). The PTA has even filed a petition against the Mahila Samithi Management
before the Charity Commissioner seeking redressal of grievances. (Annexure ‘I’).
Prayer and relief sought
1. The existing management committee be dismissed forthwith and ordering fresh elections
for formation of new managing committee.
2. Allowing membership to the trust, whereby educated and qualified members can take
active participation the Trust as well as School.
3. Appointment of a qualified administrator to over see the affairs of the trust and School till
the same is streamlined with appointment of new committee.
4. Order maintaining Proper Books of accounts to have a better financial control and also to
have transparency in the financial matters.
5. Waiving the payment of Land license fee as per the revised rate and instead charging on
the pre-revised rate to reduce the financial burden on the school (approx 25 Lakhs).
Madam, by the above acts, it is felt that the great educational institution started by well minded, farsighted Railway officials is saved from few unscrupulous, corrupt, power hungry and anti-social Railway employees, who are tarnishing the image of Railways also. It is our sincere request for your kind intervention to save the careers of about 2500 student taking education from this school and majority who happen to be wards of Railway employees. We are very well aware that the above aspect is not in the sphere of Railway activities, but Railway administration has always been in the forefront in social causes with its reach over the length and breadth of the country. Keeping this social cause in mind, we request your involvement in improvement of institution associated with the Railways.
Thanking you in anticipation of favorable action.
Sincerely
Members/Staff of Mahila Samiti School
Mrs. Smita Ravi
Mrs. Pratibha Bhat
Mrs. Maria Goretti Simethy
Mrs. Anjali Pradhan
Mrs. Shukla Guin
Mrs. Kiran Shivnanai
PTA Members
Mr. Rabindra Ghatak
Mr. Shailendra Pople
Mr. S. Baneerjee
Mr. Thomas
Enclosures: Evidences of mismanagement
To, Date: 22/7
The General Manager
Central Railway, ’
Mumbai CST.
Respected Madam,
Sub: Reminder against Mismanagement of Mahila Samithi School.
With reference to our complaint letter dated 9-Jun-08 (copy attached), there is no action from your side as on date.
Therefore, we request you to take the necessary action immediately so as to save the career of 2400 students of the school.
Thanking You
Sincerely
Members/Staff of Mahila Samiti School
Mrs. Smita Ravi
Mrs. Pratibha Bhat
Mrs. Maria Goretti Simethy
Mrs. Anjali Pradhan
Mrs. Shukla Guin
Mrs. Kiran Shivnanai
PTA Members
Mr. Rabindra Ghatak
Mr. Shailendra Pople
Mr. S. Baneerjee
Mr. Thomas
To,
The District Education Officer
Thane,
Date : 14/02
Subject: Irregularities at Mahila Samithi English School, Bara Bungalow Road, Thakurli
Respected Sir,
We, the Citizens of India and Residents of Thakurli & Parents of Mahila Samiti English High School, Bara Bungalow Road, Thakurli (East) found the following irregularities.
1. The Mahila Samiti Trust is run by Railway Officers’ wives & Female Staff of Mahila Samiti School. The School was founded in 1956, which is 52 years Old.
2. After the Office bearers of Mahila Samiti are not elected as per rules & Regulations / Bye Laws of Mahila Samiti trust.
3. For many years Mahila Samiti School and Mahila Samiti Trust are being forcibly managed by few Railway officers & Supervisors (Male), which is against the rules and Regulations of Mahila Samiti Trust.
4. After the above said trust run by a committee has not been approved by the Charity Commissioner.
5. The audit report which is supposed to be submitted to the Charity Commissioners officer annually has not been submitted since 1992.
6. The Railway has sent lease charges of about Rs. 18 lakhs. As per our knowledge there is a 99 year lease with the school & the papers are not available with the management also Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation has sent a tax bill of Rs. 6 lakhs, which does not have any such rights as the land, belongs to the Railway.
7. As per the founder members knowledge, there is the constitution of the school & trust, but those papers are also not available with the management
8. The Educational Standard of the school has tremendously gone down from last so many years, because of which many parents prefer to withdraw their ward & send to other school.
9. Every year there is Fee raise in the school.
10. The Fees are very high compared to its peers.
11. After collection of proper fees from the school students, no quality is maintained.
12. The Railway officers and their wives who are running the school do not have proper
up to date knowledge of current Educational activities for running the school. The Trustees seems to be thumb master.
13. We have asked the school few basic improvements (Copy of our demands is attached) but as on date no action
has been taken.
14. PTA meetings are taken only at the beginning of the year during which they take signatures of the parents on
a blank paper or irrelative agenda & later on tear the agenda part & produce the signatures to the education
dept. during the fee increase, saying that Parents have agreed for the fee increase. Many times they do not take
exams for the subjects like PT & Physical health & give grades to the students for passing. The students now are mentally under impression that without giving the exams they can easily pass.
16. There is always unrest between the teachers & the management, which affects the education of the students &
mental environment of the school.
Cont…….
17. After taking such high fees it is surprising, that the school cannot provide proper quality of Education & infrastructure to the students.
18. It is also noted that, staff of education related departments are bribed by the school for the ignorance of the irregularities.
19. The school conducts only computer as an optional subject. As they don’t opt for any other optional subjects, students are forced to take it. As the computer classes are being run by private firm, they charge much the text books & as fee it is an additional financial burden to the parents.
Due to above irregularities the school has not made any improvement / progress in the level of education or in any other fields like sports & culture, which is affecting the career of the school children. Earlier children used to come from places other than Thakurli, now many parents who are residing at Thakurli prefer other schools instead of Mahila Samithi English high School, Thakurli, due to poor quality of Education.
Hence, we would like to know about the properly audited financial accounts maintained by the M.S.S.T. School and the Trust, which creates doubt about the misuse of funds. We also want to know, why the education Department, Thane & Kalyan shows the ignorance about the above matter & what are the reports of the education department, whenever there is inspection in the school. We also request you to take proper actions against the same.
Thanking You
For Parents of Mahila Samithi School, Thakurli
Sd- as per list
Enclosure : 1. Demand Copy given to the school
2. Copies of Signatures of Parents
C.C. to
1. The President of India, New Delhi
2. The Railway Minister, New Delhi
3. The Education Minister, Maharashtra
4. The Member of Parliament, Thane
5. Shri. Harishchandra Patil, MLA., Kalyan Taluka
6. The Education Department, Kalyan
7. Smt. Pramila S. Chowdhari, Corporator, Thakurli
8. The General Manager, Central Railway, Mumbai
9. Shri. Sanjay Kelkar M.L.C., Maharashtra State
10. The Police Commissioner, Thane
11. The D.C.P., Kalyan
Address for correspondence on behalf of all Parents
Rabindranath Ghatak
2nd Floor, Room No. 18,
Kisan Mhatre Building,
Nira Nagar, Cholegaon,
Thakurli (East) – 421 201
Mob.: 9819136851
Note: Any Attempt of Bribe is keenly watched & Highlighted by the Parents of the M.S.S.T
0 comments