FAISALABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has initiated a probe against eight boards of intermediate and secondary education (BISEs) in Punjab for receiving registration fee from matriculation and intermediate students multiple times.

The inquiry has been launched on a complaint filed by Hafiza Iqra Mubarak who has done her MSc in Chemistry.

Following the application, the NAB officials called Ms Mubarak who claimed to have presented all relevant documents as evidence to the officials.

In her application, she said education boards were getting registration fee from the matriculation and intermediate students.

Complainant alleges that boards receive fees multiple times

Elaborating her claim, she said a student of grade-IX had to pay Rs850 in the name of registration, Rs100 as processing fee and Rs600 for the matriculation certificate. She said all sorts of processing and registration work was being done on internet by students who provide hard copy to the board officials.

“Education boards are not using even a single piece of paper in the process of registration and processing,” she added.

She said 40 to 50 per cent of students could not pass the examination but the boards were receiving certificate issuance fee even from failed students. However, she said the boards had never returned the certificate issuance fee to the failed students.

Similarly, she said the boards also used to receive registration fee from the students when they got themselves enrolled for the intermediate exams.

She said universities across the country were getting registration fee only for one time and this [registration] was valid till PhD. On the contrary, the boards were getting the fee multiple times, she said.

Talking to Dawn, Ms Mubarak said she had appeared before the NAB officials a couple of days ago and provided them all relevant documents demanded by them.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2018