Salaries, grants hit as colleges say state owes them ` 2,013cr

MUMBAI: Three Maharashtra government departments owe engineering, management and pharmacy colleges across the state Rs2,013 crore as arrears of student freeships over the past three years.

Data compiled by the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) show the departments of higher and technical education, social justice and special assistance, and tribal development, have not paid grants to more than 1,000 colleges. The delay in getting funds, colleges say, is affecting payment of salaries.

The social justice and special assistance department, which reimburses colleges for freeships to scheduled caste (SC) students, owes the bulk of funds. The tribal development department that provides funds for scheduled tribe (ST), nomadic tribe (NT) and Vimukta Jati (VJ) students, and the department of higher and technical education, which subsidises fees for economically backward class (EBC) students, are yet to release funds too.

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