Mumbai: The Maharashtra Government, on Tuesday, approved ₹45 crores reimbursement for educational fees under the Right to Education (RTE) quota for private unaided schools across the state.

While this move brings some relief, Sanjayrao Tayade Patil, founder-president of the Maharashtra English School Trustees Association (MESTA), has expressed concerns that the amount is much less than the outstanding dues. Patil warned that if these dues are not reimbursed, schools may be forced to halt admissions under the RTE quota from the next academic year.

“For the financial year 2024-25, ₹173 crore has been allocated for RTE reimbursement. Of this, ₹69.20 crore had already been disbursed, and now an additional ₹45 crore has been approved,” stated the Government Resolution (GR).

However, Patil highlighted that substantial dues remain unpaid over the years, with Thane district alone having a pending due of approximately ₹90 crore. “The reimbursements have been irregular for the past four years, amounting to almost 2500 crore remaining dues. Small reimbursements like ₹45 crore will barely provide schools with ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 each, which is insufficient to cover the expenses of students admitted under the 25% RTE quota,” he said.

Under the RTE Act, private unaided schools are required to reserve at least 25% of their entry-level seats for children from disadvantaged and economically weaker sections. Patil noted that continued delays in the full reimbursement of dues threaten the sustainability of this mandate.

“The government’s failure to disburse the full amount of reimbursements is jeopardising the future of children admitted under the RTE Act. Schools will no longer be able to offer admissions, and ultimately, it is the students who will suffer due to this lapse,” he added.

MESTA has urged the government to prioritise clearing the pending dues and ensure timely payments in the future to uphold the provisions of the RTE Act and secure the education of disadvantaged children.