The Bombay High Court has asked the Maharashtra state government to release an ad-hoc amount of Rs 3,601.66 crore to educational institutes in the state. The order was passed on November 1, 2023, in response to a petition filed by a group of educational institutes.
The petition alleged that the state government was in default of its payments to educational institutes for the last and current financial years. The petitioners argued that this was causing financial hardship to the institutes and was affecting their ability to provide quality education to students.
The state government, in its response, admitted that there was a delay in payments to educational institutes. However, it argued that this was due to technical difficulties and that it was working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
The High Court, in its order, acknowledged that there were technical difficulties involved, but it also emphasized the need to avoid causing severe hardship to educational institutions. The court directed the state government to release an ad-hoc amount of Rs 3,601.66 crore to educational institutes within a period of two weeks.
The court also directed the state government to submit a proposal to the Chief Secretary by November 29, 2023, detailing a plan to clear the remaining outstanding payments to educational institutes.
The order of the Bombay High Court is a welcome relief for educational institutes in Maharashtra. The ad-hoc grant will help to alleviate their financial strain and allow them to continue providing quality education to students.
The order also sends a strong message to the state government about the importance of investing in education. The government must ensure that educational institutes have the resources they need to provide quality education to all students.