The Mamata Banerjee government has asked all state-aided colleges to furnish details of their last four years’ accounts for reviewing the financial status of the institutions.

This is the first time the government has put state-aided colleges under such a scanner, prompted by reports that many of them are not adequately upgrading their facilities despite having enough funds. The institutions will have to file the detailed accounts by May 31.

“The infrastructure for the students is poor at many colleges. We have sought annual financial returns (from 2009-10 to 2012-13) of the institutions to find out the reason for the poor state of the facilities,” said an official in the higher education department.

Government inspection reports reveal that most of the 450-odd aided colleges in Bengal are poorly maintained. Most of the buildings wear a shabby look as no renovation work has been undertaken for years. Lavatories in many colleges are ill maintained.

The government pays the salaries of the teachers and non-teaching staff of the aided colleges and also provides each of them an annual grant of Rs 10-15 lakh for infrastructure upgrade and another Rs 10 lakh as an incentive fund that can also be spent on campus upkeep.

The colleges receive a UGC grant of Rs 10-15 lakh every year. Help is also provided from local area development funds of MPs and MLAs for constructing buildings and renovating existing ones. The state youth welfare services department has recently introduced a scheme to provide a one-time grant of Rs 2-3 lakh to every aided college for setting up gyms and buying indoor games apparatuses.

The colleges earn a considerable amount from students by way of fees, such as tuition fee, development fee, admission fee, examination fee, electricity fee, games and sports fee, festival fees and students’ union fee.

“Given the earning, we have every reason to be concerned if an aided college says it lacks funds for proper upgrade of infrastructure,” said an official in the higher education department.

The government in its directive has asked the colleges to furnish every detail of their earnings and expenditure, the names of contractors and suppliers they had engaged for construction and other jobs in the past four years, copies of utilisation certificates given to the funding agencies and clarifications if such certificates had not been submitted.

The heads of some aided colleges are upset with the move because this was the first time the institutions have been asked to file their financial returns to the state government. The colleges have so far been submitting only their annual audit reports.

“We have received the directive about 10 days ago. It is difficult to prepare the reports within a month as we are overburdened with exams,” said the principal of a college in south Calcutta.