Hyderabad: The Special Dispensation Admission facility extended to MPs to refer students for admission to Kendriya Vidyalaya schools is pushing Parliamentarians into a corner.
While the maximum quota for each MP is 10 per year, they receive hundreds of applications seeking recommendation letters.
While a Lok Sabha member can refer 10 students to any KV school in his constituency, a Rajya Sabha member has the advantage of referring students to any school in the respective state.
In case there is no KV in a Lok Sabha constituency, the respective MP can refer students to schools located in the neighboring constituency. Until last year, the quota for each MP was just six. It has been enhanced to 10 from the coming academic year, 2016-17.
There aren’t any KVs in Union minister and Secunderabad MP Bandaru Dattatreya’s constituency, but he received 2,300 applications this year.
According to his office staff, 1,800 applications were from party leaders and activists, nearly 500 from government officials from different departments as well as media, and close to 200 applications from the public in his constituency.
Mahbubnagar MP A.P. Jitender Reddy told this newspaper that this facility for MPs should be removed. Enhancing the quota to even 100 referrals would not serve the purpose since thousands were queueing up in front of Parliamentarians’ offices every year.
“It’s okay even if we don’t get praise from parents, but we should not receive negative comments or feedback for no fault of ours,” he said. He added that he received hundreds of applications for admissions to the KV school in Mahbubnagar.
“I ask my staff to conduct a lucky draw in the presence of all parents who approach for me referral letters. Ten people will return happy while the rest will be dejected,” Mr Reddy said.
Bhongir MP Boora Narsaiah Goud recei-ved nearly 1,000 applications for referrals to KV schools this year. Nearly 600 parents and children approached the lone TD MP from Malkajgiri, Mr Ch Malla Reddy. Although there were people from different financial backgrounds, preference was given to parents from poor backgrounds.
Congress MP G. Sukhender Reddy said that he informs parents upfront that the facility will only be extended to the poorest of the poor.
When contacted, MIM MLC Syed Aminul Hasan Jafri told the newspaper that the party would hold a draw of lots in the presence of applicants to pick the ten students whose applications would be recommended by party president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi.
