- Forum submits memo with three key demands
Bhopal: The Private School Welfare Operators Forum organized a protest on Wednesday at the State Education Center in Bhopal to press for long-overdue demands. The protestors submitted a memorandum outlining three primary concerns, including the non-payment of Right to Education (RTE) reimbursements for the 2023–24 academic session.
Forum leaders voiced strong dissatisfaction over the delay in payments and the government’s apparent neglect of private school children. Shailesh Tiwari, the state president of the forum, stated, “The government is discriminating against private school students. Their families also vote—why are they being excluded from welfare schemes?”
RTE funds are our right: Forum president
Tiwari emphasized that the pending RTE funds are not just a financial right but also a matter of dignity. “For the last three years, no RTE funds have been released. We have been told repeatedly that the Chief Minister will release the funds with a single click. But that click never comes. Will it even happen before Diwali?” he questioned.
As per official rules, RTE reimbursements are to be disbursed by March every year. However, no payments have been made since 2023, putting financial pressure on many private school operators.
State Treasurer Monu Tomar confirmed that the protest would continue daily until a written order is received. “We protested until 5 p.m. today and will resume tomorrow morning. This movement will not stop now,” he said.
Protesters included school operators from across the state. Pratiksha Srivastava, a participant from Jabalpur, stated, “We haven’t received RTE funds in years. The government is also making accreditation rules unnecessarily strict. We are here to fight for our rights.”
The forum has declared that the protest will end only when a written order addressing their demands is issued.
Key Demands
- Immediate release of RTE payments for the 2023–24 academic session.
- Permission for unrecognized schools to operate after paying a penalty.
- Written payment orders for students enrolled from 2016 to 2022 under the RTE scheme.
