AHMEDABAD: While announcements and publicity for the state's Kanya Kelavani Nidhi (girls' education fund) have been nearly ubiquitous, the Gujarat education department has failed to pay 1,600 grant-in-aid schools fees for girl students for two years now.
More shockingly, sources in the education department said that for the financial year 2020-21, the education department did not send the proposal for these funds to the state finance department altogether.
Grant-in-aid schools receive staff salaries from the state and grants to meet a part of their expenditure. The remainder is met by fees from students, the amount for which is also fixed by the state government.
In April 2019, the Gujarat government decided to provide free school education up to the higher secondary level to the girls of the state and undertook to pay the fees on behalf of girls enrolled at grant-in-aid schools. These schools were told to stop collecting fees from their girl students, and supply details of enrolment and fees for the government to reimburse, through a government resolution (GR) dated April 24, 2019.
However, schools have not received reimbursement for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 from the state government, leaving them with a shortfall and struggling to manage their finances in the pandemic years.
Jyotindra Dave, managing trustee of JN Balika Vidyalaya in Saraspur, said fees totalling Rs 15 lakh for girls at their two schools have not been paid yet. "Our trust is facing many difficulties in operations due to this. Representations have been made at many places, including the education department but the result has been zero," Dave said.
Their trust, Saraswat Vidya Mandal (SVM), was founded in 1944. It is mainly run by former students who volunteer. It currently educates nearly 5,000 students, mainly from the weaker sections of society. It has 800 girl students enrolled in two schools it runs -- JN Balika Vidyalaya in Saraspur and Asarwa Vidyalaya.
"We have regularly been providing all necessary details to the state education department. This shortfall adds significantly to the institution's Covid-19 related financial difficulties, from non-receipt of fees and the 25% reduction in fees mandated by the government. This callous attitude on the part of the Gujarat government is bound to discourage serious, well-run, not-for-profit institutions and the selfless citizens who manage them," Jyotindra Dave, managing trustee of JN Balika Vidyalaya in Saraspur said.
Gujarat State School Management Association president Bhaskar Patel said, "Some 1,600 grant-in-aid schools receive part of their funds in the form of reimbursement for girls' fees. None have got these funds from the government for two years. The total amount outstanding is between Rs 45 and Rs 50 crore. Our association has made representations at all levels, including to the chief minister, but they have yielded no results.
Education minister Jitu Vaghani said, "These funds are paid out as part of a central government scheme, and we will release this soon after certain discussions with the department of social justice and empowerment. Efforts will be made in the current year and the cycle for payment will be accelerated."
Primary and secondary education secretary Vinod Rao did not respond to requests for his comments.
