The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra Government to resolve long-pending fee reimbursement claims of private schools under the Right to Education (RTE) Act within six weeks, setting a clear timeline for scrutiny and payment of eligible dues.
The order was passed by a division bench of Justices Anil S. Kilor and Raj D. Wakode while hearing a writ petition filed by Shantai English School at Shirajgaon (Mozari) along with several other educational institutions.
The petitioners contended that they had admitted students under the 25 per cent reservation mandated by the RTE Act and were legally entitled to reimbursement from the State. However, they alleged that payments for eligible students have remained pending since the 2018-19 academic year, causing severe financial strain on the institutions.
During the hearing, the schools referred to earlier judgments delivered by the Principal Bench of the Bombay High Court and the Aurangabad Bench, where the State had been directed to verify reimbursement claims and release admissible payments.
Relying on those precedents, the Nagpur Bench instructed the concerned authorities to scrutinise each claim, determine eligibility and calculate the amount payable within four weeks. The State has also been directed to release the approved reimbursement within the next two weeks.
The court further ruled that if any claim is rejected, either fully or partially, the authorities must issue a detailed speaking order explaining the reasons for such a decision.
The bench also clarified that schools aggrieved by the rejection or partial settlement of their claims would be free to seek appropriate legal remedies in accordance with law.
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