Schools to receive grant from BMC once again?

Mumbai: Schools in Mumbai can aspire to avail of financial aid from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) 10 years after they had last received a grant from the civic body. Mangesh Satamkar, the newly appointed civic education committee chairman, has said that providing a grant to eligible schools would be one of his top priorities.

According to civic officials, the last time the BMC provided a grant to schools was in 2008. There are 416 aided schools in Mumbai and the grant is shared on 50-50 basis by the BMC and the state Government.

However, in 2004, the state government issued directives expressing its inability to provide the grant to schools. The BMC, in the 2008, decided to provide the grant to 33 more schools, but only 50 per cent of its share. But following the court directives, the civic body later decided to pay entire 100 per cent grant to these schools.

“The decision to provide grant to 33 schools was taken in 2008 during my last tenure as a BMC education committee chairman,” said Mr Satamkar. “I want to again take up the issue on priority so that eligible schools are not deprived of financial aid.”

There are 63 schools, which have applied for a grant to the BMC. However, their demand has been kept pending for years. “If the state government is not willing to pay its share, the BMC might think of providing the entire amount — provided the aspiring schools meet required criteria. We are going to hold a meeting on Thursday to review the issue of grant and recognition to the schools,” said Mr Satamkar.

“The BMC has stopped giving the grant to new schools, as it was not possible to bear the entire burden of the grant. But if the decision to grant aid is taken at the top level, we will have to follow it,” said a senior civic official.