Tehatta: The Bengal government has started an inquiry into reports that an ITI here is being used as a parking place for totos at night and the institute charges Rs 10 per vehicle to recharge batteries.

The principal of the ITI which was set up in 2012 on public-private partnership model claimed that the Bengal government had empowered the institute to provide such services.

"There is a state government order to this effect. We can provide such services and take money for the same. Even technical education minister Purnendu Basu knows it," said principal Purnendu Kumar.

Bose said there was no such order and he had directed an inquiry against the ITI. #"If technical education department had issued an order, I would have known about it. At least I have never signed any such order. This is illegal and I will take necessary action after an inquiry," said the minister

Toto operators in Tehatta said nearly 70 vehicles used the campus as their night shelter and a centre for charging batteries for Rs 10 each.

"Initially, there were about five totos whose batteries were recharged at the ITI. But the number increased gradually as most toto operators found the campus suitable for night parking as well as recharging batteries at nominal costs," a toto operator said.

The "recharging" facilities were made available to them by the college authorities early this year.

A toto operator Paritosh Biswas said: "I have been using the facility for the last four months. Earlier, I used to take my vehicle back home at night and recharge there. The college authorities take just Rs 10 from me everyday."

A senior administrative officer said the role of the state government on the PPP model was that of a facilitator. "The government provides land, building and power and water supply. The private group that runs the ITI collects tuition fee from students and provides salaries to teachers and other employees."

Minister Bose said: "If the private group is using government property to give night shelter to totos and collects Rs 10 for their battery charging, it is illegal."

Former technical education minister Ujjwal Biswas also termed the practice 'illegal'. "The duty of the private partner is to impart training and not to exploit government facilities for its own financial gains," Biswas added.