Over Rs 750 crore of scholarship amount of colleges pending with government

Over Rs 750 crore of scholarship amount of colleges pending with government

 Social Justice Minister Shivajirao Moghe in favour of clearing the dues

By Vikas Vaidya

Most of the private colleges in Maharashtra State are suffering heavily as Maharashtra Government has not yet cleared scholarship amount of over Rs 750 crore. The colleges in Vidarbha are waiting to get clear the dues of over Rs 150 crore. Though, Shivajirao Moghe, Maharashtra’s Minister for Social Justice always throw the ball in the court of finance department, this time he is very positive as far as disbersing the amount. He told The Hitavada that the dues were over Rs 1400 crore. Most of the amount was distributed to the colleges now Rs 750 crore amount remained with the Government.
The demand being made by the colleges and from other sectors also to have some income limit for the students of reserved categories which presently is missing. Moghe said that Central Government has kept Rs 44,000/- as annual income limit to get the scholarship. This limit is fine but keeping no limit is making matter worse and State Exchequer has to carry the load of crores of rupees to be disbersed, added Moghe. He also stated that this issue is under consideration of the Government.
Earlier Moghe had taken stand of colleges opening accounts of the students and amount need to be deposited to their accounts. Moghe cited the reasons for this insistance that because some cases had been identified in which institutions have infaded the number of students. To remove this lacuna he told colleges to open the accounts first.
Government of Maharashtra had implemented a scheme for payment of scholarship/freeship to students belonging to backward classes (SC, ST, OBC, VJ, NT, SBC, etc). The Government of Maharashtra reimburses tuition fees through Social Justice Department against all such students. The colleges have to bear either 100 per cent fees or some part of it for these 80 per cent backward class students.
Social Justice Department should pay 90 per cent of tuition fees/scholarship/freeship to institutions by June of every academic year before commencement of academic session. But this year, not a single penny is paid due to which many colleges are facing financial crunch. The dues with the Government vary from Rs 80 lakh to Rs 5 crore to be paid to colleges.
Barring few big colleges, other colleges are facing the fear of closure. In fact some of the colleges are planning to sale the colleges to big houses. The amount pending is differ from college to college but it ranges from almost Rs one crore to five crore. A person from one college management argues that on one hand, All India Coucnil for Technical Education (AICTE) always ask colleges with a stick to follow norms to enhance quality education and on the other, non-cooperation from State Government is making situation worse. Moreover, every year, over 30 per cent seats in engineering colleges remained vacant. It has put additional financial burden on these colleges. Be it infrastructure development, library, various facilities, advancement, organising various conferences, seminars, all this needs money. In a regular manner, colleges need to purchase books every year. This cannot be done without good finances. Panic has gripped managements of many college as they have obtained loans from banks and are dependent on dues to be received from the Government. Because of fear of not filling up the seats even cut-throat competition has come up. This year in Nagpur region so-called fake marksheet scam taken place.
This problem has prompted various managements which are running colleges to form one association. The Association expressed resentment and said, if this situation persists then quality will go down. Colleges may stop taking services from expert teachers whom they have to pay more. Already half of colleges do not have full-time teachers and Principals.  Instead, they appoint less experienced teachers by paying lesser salary to them. This will affect students at large.