Maharashtra Cabinet today accorded its in-principle approval to a proposal of providing 20 per cent grants to the ‘permanently unaided’ schools in the state.
The decision will benefit 19,247 teachers from 1,628 eligible permanently unaided schools in the state.
“The decision will put an additional burden of Rs 163.21 crore on the state exchequer,” Minister for School Education Vinod Tawde told reporters here.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued here, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil termed the 20 per cent grant as “meagre and unjust”.
After evaluation to allocate just 20 per cent grant to schools eligible for 60, 80 and 100 per cent grant is unjust, Vikhe Patil said.
Responding to Vikhe Patil, Tawde clarified that the grants given by the department will be made applicable from the current academic year.
The issue had been pending since the previous Congress-NCP government, he alleged.
The teachers from the permanently unaided schools were on a ‘dharna’ at Azad Maidan here over various demands for the last two weeks.
Tawde said when the issue was debated in the budget session of the state legislature in March this year he had assured that the issue would be definitely resolved.
“Nearly 50 per cent of the school education department budget is spent on wages of teachers and non-teaching staff,” he said.
