RTE dues of schools in Maharashtra, over Rs 600 crore pending with Govt

By Vikas Vaidya

Schools in Maharashtra did not get over Rs 600 crore as a reimbursement amount against the admissions done under Right To Education (RTE) Act since 2012. Founder President of Maharashtra English School Trustees Association (MESTA) Sanjayrao Tayade Patil has warned School Education department that it would not cooperate if the pending amount is not paid by December 31 this year. He further said that the schools will not participate in the RTE admission process.
After the RTE act becoming effective, it became mandatory for the schools to admit students under it in 25% quota. It was decided that schools would keep 25 per cent seats for the admissions to be done under RTE. Government will pay Rs 14,000 for every student to schools. This amount was raised to Rs 18,000 per year per student. According to MESTA, Government has paid some 65% amount of the total amount to some schools that too of the academic year 2012-13 and 2013-14. Not a single penny against the admissions done under RTE in the academic years 2014-15 and 2015-16 was paid to schools.
Sanjayrao Tayade Patil told The Hitavada, “There are some 12-13 districts where not all schools received the payment. In Nagpur district alone a payment of about Rs 34 crore is  not made.” This information was endorsed by Primary Education department of Nagpur.
Till last year the amount was some Rs 400 crore. MESTA tried hard to get it but Government did not take a single step, alleged Dr Tayade Patil.
“Till December 31 we will wait after that we would start boycotting the procedure. We don’t want parents and children to face the trouble. I allege that Education department has deceived us. They had promised us during Nagpur convention that he would resolve all the problems and payment would be made very soon,” said Patil.
Sanjayrao Tayade Patil, said, “There are several issues pertaining to school admissions which we brought to the notice of HRD Minister. We want TC should be made compulsory, we should get RTE refund regularly, conflicting circulars/GRs,  which defeat the implementation of the RTE Act, Government’s refusal to reimburse fees to weaker section students for pre-primary admissions etc are to be well taken care of. Secondly, we have no power to fail students if he or she does not perform.”

why Govt shows disparity towards private school?

The amount which Government pays to the student of its own school is much bigger than it gives as reimbursement to the private schools. Dr Sanjay Tayade Patil, President of MESTA said, “Government gives us maximum Rs 18,000 per student per year. If a school charge Rs 40,000 per student admitted not under RTE, it still gets only Rs 18,000 against the student admitted under RTE. Contrary to this if the school charges Rs 5,000 then Government gives only Rs 5,000 per student under RTE. Government says, it would compare the amount of fees charged by school and given by Government. The lesser one would be given to school. This is unjustifiable.”

Schools can’t fill up vacant RTE seat

As per new GR on RTE, now schools have to carry seats remained vacant under RTE till Class VIII. Suppose a school finds no takers for five seats under RTE, as per earlier rule, schools could have fill up those seats on their own. Now according to new rule, the schools won’t be able to do so. Dr Sanjay Tayade Patil lambasted this decision of Government. He said, “This is funny decision. If no student is found eligible should the schools be held responsible?”