Clarification needed on fine for delay in return of books

[SUBHASISH KARAK]

In a recent audit, the team members of AG Bengal slap a  fine  of Rs 2660/- to a teacher for delay in return of library books.

As per the KVS norms late fine for students and teachers is Re.1/- per day, for lost of books 3 times of cost or replace the same new book. But in practice we avoid late fine but collect for lost only. 

Now the question is whether the late fine for 3 years can be charged?

Can it be more than the cost of books or the 3 times of books?

Kindly suggest earliest with Govt. of India rules.

Subhasish Karak

General Secretary

All India Kendriya Vidyalaya Teachers' Association

W.B state Committee

[Apurba Jyoti Majumder]

Yes

Fine may be more than the cost of the book.

Actually if a user keeping a book with him/her for 3 years, then it must be a very important book and consequently he is not allowing other readers to read the book.

[Govind Prasad Sharma]

I think the maximum fine should be the double of the cost of book.

[Siddhartha Shankar Ray]

Dear Sri karak,

Thanks for the post. As I understand, you have opened the Pandora's Box in this forum &  exposed the true face of a section of Teachers (in a school in this particular case!) 

Being the General Secretary of Teachers' Association what is your response to such activities??

Mathematically speaking, with a fine @Re1/- per day, Rs. 2660/- constitutes more than SEVEN YEARS!!  I wonder what the concerned people had been doing for such long time!

As I understand, if this is the case, the forum members will certainly agree with me that no amount of self defense can ever justify such activities.All I can say that if a person can deprive all other users and retain a library book for so many years, s/he should be taken into tusk in hardest way.

I have no idea about the book borrowed,(like type of the book and number of copies acquired by the Library etc.)  but as I understand from my experience it is too long a period. The argument of slapping fine of three times or four times of the cost of the book is immaterial. The nonchalant outlook of the person who can deprive all other users and more importantly, can ignore all norms of Library ( may be the library has purchased multiple copies of the book and a person has retained a single copy of the book in his/her custody  while other copies are used by library members)

I am sorry to say that as I understand, it is not an isolated incident,in a school, rather, a common practice of Teachers in many academic institutions like Colleges &/or Universities often retain books for several years depriving students over the years. I was away from office for several weeks during last couple of months and traveled extensively in suburban & rural Bengal and visited several libraries and observed several such cases. The administrative authorities, (Principals/Registrars, Academic Councils etc.) often remain mum about such incidents and the Librarians (especially in Schools & Colleges) being miniscule in number and lower in estimation (simply; because the institutions are completely dominated by teaching fraternity!!) never dare to take any action nor there is any directive to take any befitting action by library personnel against such people. If the Audit party can remain strict in their stance with such exemplary punishment ( I am perturbed to use the word punishment but could not found a befitting alternative!!)

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta

[Raja Manikyam]

In our library our practice is as below

We will send five reminder to the user if the user is not responded after the five reminders library should consider the book as lost and 3 times price of book will be collected from the user.