Guv directs DC office to issue income certificates

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 17

The UT Governor on Monday instructed the Deputy Commissioner (DC) to start issuing income certificates to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) applicants seeking admission in private schools on the basis of ‘self-certification’ under Section 12(1) (c) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

In the absence of full-proof method to determine the annual income of EWS families, parents will now give self-declaration to the DC, stating that their annual income is less than Rs 1,50,000 on the basis of which the DC office will issue them the income certificate.

Confirming the development, an official at the DC office, requesting anonymity, said the orders came from the Governor’s office in the evening. “The DC office will start issuing income certificates shortly,” the official said.

Earlier, income certificate forms were available at Sampark centres, after which Patwaris used to inspect homes and the DC used to issue the certificate.

In February this year, the DC office halted the process of issuing income certificates after private schools raised objections against the families who were issued income certificate by the DC office. Several Patwaris also had to face inquiries against the complaints of unfair inspections.

The schools were then issued instructions by the DC office to accept ‘self-certified’ affidavits from the EWS families. However, some private schools had opposed accepting the self-certification affidavits even then.

Parents, on the other hand had time and again pressed upon the acceptance of self-certification by private schools for admissions.