Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 2

Parents across the state who have their wards studying in ICSE-affiliated convent schools have alleged irregularities in the sale of books by Sahodhaya, a Rs 40-crore firm run by four priests of Jalandhar Diocese, including Father Anthony Madasserry.

The company has been under the Income Tax Department scanner since the Khanna police raid on Friday evening.

These parents have alleged that the schools were forcibly getting an undertaking from them that they will buy books only from Sahodhaya, for which even receipts are not being issued. They have also alleged that the books are overpriced.

The parents of a convent school at Sujanpur said they had been publicly lodging protests and had even taken up the matter with the district administration. “The company is clearly trying to circumvent the orders of the Supreme Court as per which the schools cannot sell books from the campus. Instead of having counters, they have now taken to this method of setting up a company of their own,” he said. A protest on this issue was also held at Sultanpur Lodhi on Monday.

Interestingly, two of the four priests running Sahodhaya are also directors of schools in Jalandhar where the company has set up its counters, thus having a clear conflict of interest. Father Anthony is the director of St Joseph’s School, Defence Colony, and Father Jose Palakuzha is the director of St Judes Convent School, Nakodar.

A priest, who serves in a convent school, said, “We were earlier following the practice of calling the publishers and finalising the books to be recommended in consultation with the subject teacher and principal. In return, the publisher whose book got selected sometimes offered voluntary donation to the church. But Bishop Franco and his aide Father Anthony changed the entire system in Diocese-run schools.”

Education Minister OP Soni is learnt to be abroad. When contacted, Director General School Education Mohammad Tayyab said, “I will not like to comment anything regarding the book sale system followed in ICSE schools. We have no connection with them.”

Father Xavier Thazhathuveettil, Director Education of the Diocese, did not respond to calls. Father Anthony had earlier said that if schools were forcibly getting undertaking from the parents, they should approach the school authorities on this. Father Jose Palakuzha, who is a partner in Sahodhaya, denied any profit-making in the book business. Most top publishers and distributors in Jalandhar have said they have not been able to increase their business beyond Rs 2 crore, that too after being in the line for years.

‘Have to shell out more than MRP’

"If we do not give this undertaking, we are threatened that our ward would be expelled. Also the books prescribed are not available in the open market and can be purchased only from Jalandhar. They also do not give us any receipt. When we calculate the total amount on the basis of the MRP of books and other items, it is less than the money charged from us. We have submitted many complaints but to no avail." A parent of a child studying at a Machhiwara school