Haryana's private schools claim Rs 68-cr reimbursement

Tribune News Service

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, January 8

Despite the state government last year abolishing Rule 134A of the Haryana School Education Rules, 2003, which ensured free education with 10 per cent reservation of seats in recognised private schools for students from economically weaker sections (EWSs), the reimbursement of the students’ fee is yet to be made to the schools concerned.

Free education to EWS students was abolished last year

• The sum belongs to academic sessions from 2015-16 to 2021-22
• Rule 134A that ensured free education to EWS students was done away in 2022
• Several schools have not been reimbursed the fee even once during the time span

Not got a penny in five years

I have not received a penny in the past five years despite giving admission to students belonging to economically weaker section under Rule 134A. The bills for reimbursement were submitted as per directives of the Education Department. Surender Hooda, owner of a private school

A total of 2,237 such private schools across the state have claimed the reimbursement of Rs 68.40 crore for the fee of the students enrolled from classes II to VIII under Rule 134A. The sum belongs for the past six academic sessions from 2015-16 to 2021-22 (except 2020-21). Interestingly, several schools have not been reimbursed the fee even once during the time span despite submitting the claim bills every time, said sources.

The Directorate of Elementary Education has formed a district-level committee, comprising district elementary education officer (DEEO), section officer and block education officer concerned, to verify the claim bills so that the reimbursement of the fee could be made at the earliest. The committee has been directed to complete the verification work before January 15, the sources added.

“The committee will verify the date/month on the basis of the students’ Aadhaar card number and EWS/BPL status when the students remained in the school concerned. It will also verify the level of the recognition of the school concerned so as to ensure that the students whose fee has been claimed for reimbursement are eligible for that,” said a communiqué sent to the DEEO from the state headquarters recently.

Surender Hooda, owner of a private school, said he had not received a penny in the past five years despite giving admission to students under Rule 134A. “The bills for reimbursement were submitted as per directives of the Education Department every year. Many other schools are also facing the similar situation,” he claimed.

Ravinder Nandal, president, Haryana Private School Sangh, said a considerable number of private schools across the state had been struggling to get reimbursement of the students’ fee under Rule 134A. “The state authorities should make the payment at the earliest while giving a major relief to the schools,” he demanded.

Diljeet Singh, DEEO, said the district committee had started verifying the claim bills and the process would be completed within a week. Thereafter, the state authorities would reimburse the students’ fee to the schools, he added.

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