Bhubaneswar: As many as 15 special schools in the state have been found operating without renewal of their registration certificates under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, an audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has stated.CAG has found that the registration of these schools expired years ago.The issue was discussed at a virtual meeting convened by the social security and empowerment of persons with disabilities (SSEPD) department recently to review compliance with the audit findings. The meeting noted that while the CAG had identified 23 schools in the state with registration-related issues and 10 of them had already secured renewal certificates in the intervening period after verification by the department. The 15 schools have not yet submitted their documents related to compliance with disability laws, infrastructure safety and certified special education staff, which are mandatory for the renewal.Officials of the SSEPD department said all the defaulting schools have been asked to apply for renewal at the earliest with all prescribed documents. The department has made it mandatory for institutions to possess valid society registration certificates and obtain recommendations from the respective district collectors before renewal applications are processed. It also decided that all pending fresh registration and renewal cases should be disposed of within two months to enable timely compliance with the CAG audit.To streamline the process, the department has laid down standard timelines for future renewals. Institutions must apply at least 30 days before expiry of their registration certificates and the district social security officers must forward applications with recommendations to collectors within 30 days, while the department has been given 30 days to process renewal cases and 45 days for fresh registrations.The commissioner for persons with disabilities has also recommended introducing penalties for delays at every level – NGOs, district authorities and the department – with fines ranging from Rs 1,000 after one month to Rs 3,500 after six months. The proposal states that such penalties should be borne personally by the officials or organisations responsible for the delay.Among the schools listed for pending renewal are institutions in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Balangir and Ganjam districts.
