Some pharmacy, nursing, physiotherapy colleges stop paying salaries due to financial crunch
The issue of reimbursement of scholarships given to colleges against the fees of students of reserved category has still not been solved as over Rs 400 crore is pending with the Government. This has compelled some technical institutions and even some health sciences colleges to stop paying the salaries to their staff. Some colleges, especially the professional ones are planning closure. This year too Maharashtra’s Mahavikas Aaghadi Government has yet not released the amount of scholarship to be paid to engineering, management, medical, dental, physiotherapy, nursing and others. Scholarship amount to be disbursed to the Vidarbha’s professional colleges alone is over Rs 400 crore. Of the total estimated amount, Rs 300 crore is of this session while Government has failed to release around Rs 100 crore of the previous years. Vidarbha Un-Aided Engineering Colleges Management’s Association (VUECMA) has urged State Government to release both the installments of Tuition Fee Scholarship at a time for the session 2020-21.
If Government Resolution (GR) of 2008 is to be followed then the authority should handover 90% amount at the beginning of the session while remaining 10% would be transferred to colleges during Diwali. This was never followed. Government of Maharashtra started the MahaDBT online Scholarship portal in the month of February, 2021 and the online submission of application forms by the students are still going on for the renewal (existing students) as well as for new admitted students. The last date of form submission is March 31, 2021. Government got late in activating the MahaDBT Online portal this year due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier, MahaDBT online portal used to start in July every year and submission of Scholarship application forms of renewal (existing students) took place from July month. The submission of newly admitted students too used to commence immediately after the submission of applications’ renewal by existing students. State Government authority use to start and activate the MahaDBT Online Scholarship Portal in the month of January again for 2nd installment of tuition fee scholarship, the amount of which is released in the month of April or May every year. Due to the exorbitant delay of more than 7 to 8 months in the starting the MahaDBT Online Scholarship portal by the State Government this year for Session 2020-21, Vidarbha Un-Aided Engineering College Management’s Association has demanded release of Tuition Fee Scholarship amount of both (first and second installment) together in one stroke as the 1st installment this year got delayed to all the colleges of engineering, polytechnic, architecture, pharmacy, MBA, etc. It has almost become difficult to pay the salaries of the staff of professional colleges.
