Ahmedabad: Authorities have expressed serious concern over the absence of action against grant-in-aid schools that have failed to carry out mandatory financial audits, pointing to administrative apathy at the district level. In Ahmedabad, the district education officer (DEO) issued strict notices to 153 granted secondary and higher secondary schools for failing to complete their required accounting audits.The list of non-compliant schools features several prominent institutions, including CU Shah HSC School, New Sarvodaya High School, Mirambika Girls School, and Swastik Vidyavihar. Authorities said if schools fail to complete audits within the timeframe, management bodies or principals would be held responsible for payment of staff salaries. Following directives from the commissioner of schools, these institutions have been directed to clear their pending audits by attending a special audit camp scheduled between May 7 and May 30. The camp will be organized at the Government Girls School in Raikhad, where audit teams will be present to facilitate the process. Authorities warned that non-compliance within the stipulated period would invite strict action, including suspension of maintenance grants and grants meant for staff salaries. The commissioner’s office observed that several districts have displayed serious negligence in initiating action against schools that have avoided audits. A large number of grant-in-aid schools across the state, including many in Ahmedabad, have not completed audits for the financial year 2022-23. In certain cases, audit backlogs extend beyond a decade, with records from 2005-06 and 2010-11 remaining unverified. Officials stressed that the absence of regular audits affects financial transparency and accountability, making it difficult to ascertain the utilization of govt funds. During a recent video conference, state authorities instructed district officials to take stringent measures against schools that continue to default.
