JOIN USClearing controversy over the grant of permission to set up private PU colleges across Karnataka, Primary and Secondary Education minister N Mahesh on Tuesday said that an inquiry will be ordered into the matter in a few days.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the top officials of the department, the minister said that the government will hold a detailed inquiry, especially to ascertain how the applications of a few colleges were reconsidered despite these institutions being located within a two-km radius of a government PU college. The minister stated that the government will also look into the files that were cleared when election code of conduct was in place.
The government had issued an order in February this year, stating that permission would not be granted for the establishment of new PU Colleges within a three-kilometre radius of government PU Colleges.
In the order that was issued granting permission for these colleges, the department, however, has not assessed whether the three-kilometre norm was adhered to. There has been a controversy over granting permission for new private PU colleges. The director, Department of Pre University Education (DPUE), C Shikha had not granted permission to 84 new colleges on the ground that they had not fulfilled the necessary criteria. Managements, however, approached the government and Shalini Rajaneesh, principal secretary, Department of Primary and Secondary Education had re-directed these files to the director.
Even as the under secretary reportedly issued orders approving the establishment of these colleges, recognition permission has still not been issued to these college managements.
Shalini claimed that she was unaware of the orders being issued by the under secretary and a show-cause notice in this regard was issued. The notice specifies that the under secretary had passed an order without bringing it to the notice of the principal secretary even as she had directed her to seek a report from the DPUE director.
Mahesh said that the department is contemplating on bringing in an amendment to the existing rules and give powers to the director, DPUE as the sole authority to be able to grant permission for the establishment of new PU Colleges.