Mumbai: Bombay High Court has frowned at state govt for “prolonged” delay in reimbursing private unaided schools providing children between 6 and 14 years free education under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act. It has asked it to undertake a comprehensive review of the existing reimbursement mechanism.“The consequences of such delay are evident from the repeated litigation reaching this court. The registry has informed us that between January 1 and August 6 alone, no fewer than 133 writ petitions have been instituted,” said Justices Riyaz Chagla and Farhan Dubash on Friday.Three schools filed a contempt petition regarding non-compliance with a March 26 order which recorded that the state will reimburse admissible dues within eight weeks. They have not been reimbursed over Rs 3.6 crore since the 2018-2019 academic year. On Friday, the state’s advocate said the amount shall be released within four weeks. The judges said the matter “once again brings to the fore a recurring issue concerning reimbursement.”The judges said under RTE, eligible schools are required to admit at least 25% of the class 1 children belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups and to provide them free elementary education. “Correspondingly, the state is obliged to reimburse such unaided schools,” they added. Further, while there is a procedure for submission and verification of claims, there is no timeline set for processing claims and releasing funds. “Schools are required to continue admitting students … Reimbursement proposals often remain pending for years together thereby placing substantial financial burden upon such institutions,” they noted.The judges said while the state is entitled to scrutinise every proposal before releasing funds, “scrutiny must be undertaken within a reasonable period.” “The object of RTE is to facilitate and not discourage participation of private educational institutions in the implementation of this important social welfare measure,” they underlined.Therefore, the judges opined that the state “should” undertake a comprehensive review of its RTE mechanism. Such review should examine the prescription of definite timelines, a monitoring mechanism and the adequacy of the existing Rs 17,690 per child reimbursement amount since the 2016-17 academic year. They “expect” govt to constitute a committee of senior officials including from finance and school education departments. The committee “may also invite representations from school associations and other stakeholders before making its recommendations.” The judges “hope and trust” that the “necessary exercise” shall be undertaken expeditiously and before the year ends.

MUMBAI: The Centre should withdraw the proposed Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) Bill or refer it to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed discussion among all political parties instead of rushing it through Parliament, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) working president and MP Supriya Sule said on Friday.Sule also said all eight Lok Sabha MPs of her party would seek an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise issues concerning Maharashtra and development works in their constituencies.“The Prime Minister is not the Prime Minister of one party but of the entire country. As elected representatives, it is our right to raise issues concerning our constituencies and Maharashtra with him,” she said while speaking to reporters.Opposing the FCRA Bill in its present form, Sule said, “The government should withdraw the Bill. If it does not want to withdraw it, it should refer it to a JPC, where leaders of all parties can sit together and discuss it in detail.”She also questioned the blanket suspicion surrounding foreign funding. “If money is coming from abroad for drugs or terrorist activities, action must certainly be taken. But if foreign funds are being received for educating poor children or for polio vaccines, how can it be called ‘dirty money’? It is not right to always look at foreign funding with suspicion,” she said.

Demand for SIT probe into Jantar Mantar protest

Sule also demanded an inquiry into the alleged irregularities surrounding the NEET examination and the action taken against protesters during the agitation at Jantar Mantar.“The truth about how the protest was suppressed by closing the doors of Parliament and using tear gas must come out. There should be a transparent SIT investigation into the entire episode,” she said.

‘Concessions announced when elections approach’

Criticising the government over its stand on loan waivers, Sule said she was shocked by what she termed the government’s insensitivity towards farmers.“Look at the timing of the Ladki Bahin scheme and the loan waiver decisions. When elections approach, the government announces concessions with both hands, but once the elections are over, it becomes reluctant. Why are complicated rules and conditions imposed when it comes to waiving loans of farmers who have remained loyal to the country? Yet, when there are paper leaks, the government seems to remember no rules,” she said.

‘Do not try to suppress youth’

Sule said the educated youth of the country were not afraid of agencies such as the CBI or ED.“Today’s educated and young generation is not afraid of the CBI or ED. They are not asking for any big contracts. They are merely demanding their rights guaranteed by the Constitution,” she said.Sule also thanked RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for praising the younger generation and describing them as ‘honest’.“If the BJP listens to the certificate given by Bhagwat to the youth, I would be even happier. If the government continues trying to suppress the voice of these young people, they will soon give the government a ‘Quit India’ warning,” she said.

Mumbai: The city crime branch has recovered gold, diamond-studded jewellery, silverware, cash and an SUV collectively valued at around Rs 96 lakh in connection with the theft of valuables worth Rs 2.65 crore from the Worli residence of Maharashtra Legislative Council deputy chairperson Sachin Ahir.Crime Branch Unit 3 last month arrested four persons, including three domestic workers and another man allegedly involved in disposing of the stolen valuables.Pravin Solanki, one of the employees who had been working with the family for nearly 24 years, was the first to be arrested and interrogations led to the arrest of three others–Satish Kumar Pawan Mistry (26) and Amit Kumar Rambachchanprasad Yadav (26), both from Giridih in Jharkhand, and Surajkumar Sriramchandra Gautam (21), from Basti in Uttar Pradesh.During Solanki’s custodial interrogation, police recovered a 100-gram Valcambi Suisse gold bar valued at Rs 15 lakh and another yellow-metal bullion weighing 224.89 grams and valued at Rs 29.69 lakh. The total recovery from Solanki was estimated at Rs 44.69 lakh. Solanki, who appears to be the key accused, had taken the major portion of the theft.Police subsequently travelled to the native places of the accused with the assistance of local police and recovered jewellery and other valuables.“From Satish Kumar, we recovered gold earrings, ornaments, a chain and ring, a wristwatch and a Mahindra Thar bearing registration number JH-02-BX-1816 which he had bought with the proceeds of the crime. We recovered from him goods worth Rs 25 lakh,’’ said a police source. From Amit Kumar, police recovered two pairs of gold bangles, gold ornaments and rings, another gold item and Rs 1.75 lakh in cash, with the total value estimated at Rs 26.44 lakh. From Surajkumar, police recovered copper utensils and Rs 19,000 in cash, collectively valued at around Rs 23,200. The combined value of the recoveries from the four accused has been estimated at Rs 94.77 lakh.Ahir’s family alleged that the stolen property included a 100-gram gold biscuit, diamond-studded gold bangles, diamond-studded bands and rings, diamond necklaces, silverware and cash. The total value of the stolen property was estimated at Rs 2.65 crore.