Protest seeking disbursementof grants: Oppn leaders join teachers at protest site in Azad MaidanOppn leaders join teachers at protest site in Azad Maidan

Indian Express

09-07-2025

Hundreds of teachers from various unaided schools from across Maharashtra are protesting at Mumbai's Azad Maidan for the past few days, demanding immediate disbursement of grants promised by the state government in 2024.
According to protesting teachers, a Government Resolution (GR) was issued on October 14, 2024 which stated that the fourth phase of government grant approved for over 5,000 private unaided schools in the state will be issued following such a decision made during the legislative assembly session taking place around that time. However, even after ten months, the government is yet to make any financial provision for this, leading to widespread anger among teachers.
Sanjay Daware from Kayam Vinaanudanit Shala Kruti Samiti, which is one of the teachers' organisations participating in the ongoing protest, said, 'The amount goes up to Rs 1,160 crore. Even as the government assured release of this grant in 2024, there is no development thereafter.'
As per information shared by Daware, currently there are 5,844 partially aided private schools in the state. These include 820 primary, 1,984 secondary, and 3,040 higher secondary schools. A total of 8,602 primary teachers, 24,028 secondary teachers, and 16,932 higher secondary teachers and non-teaching staff are employed in these schools.
All these schools were initially approved on the principle that they will always remain unaided, meaning there will be no government grants. In 2009, the word 'always' was removed by the government, following a massive protest by teachers. Furthermore, it was decided to make them partially aided, based on the evaluation of these schools. Accordingly, in 2014, such evaluations were held, and partial grants were approved for these schools in phases to be disbursed at regular intervals.
Daware said that three phases of such granting are completed successfully, and a fourth one was finalised in October 2024. 'But it remains on paper, forcing us to agitate in protest,' he said.
Various political leaders from the opposition are now coming out in their support of protesting teachers.
Congress MLC Satej Patil raised the issue in the legislative council of over 10,000 teachers sitting in protest at Azad Maidan for demand of grants assured by the state government and demanded that the chief minister should call them for discussion. While responding to Patil, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hit back at Congress-NCP and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government for not helping teachers in the past and now playing politics over it. Fadnavis also announced that Minister Girish Mahajan has been coordinating with the teachers' association and the government will hold a meeting with them. 'All these schools were started on the condition of being permanently non-aided, but Congress-NCP government later removed the word permanently non-aided. During my first government between 2014-2019 we gave the first phase of grant. After 2019, the MVA government was there but that government did not give a single rupee to them and now leaders from the opposition are playing politics and it's not good. State government has assured them of the next phase of grant but there are some issues, and we will hold a meeting with teachers,' said Fadnavis.
Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday extended support to the protests by teachers at Azad Maidan by visiting the protest site. On Tuesday night, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar spent a night at Azad Maidan along with protesting teachers.
'I have come to promise you today what we had promised when we were in power. We will not sit still until we give you what you deserve. We always say, 'Father is God, Mother is God, Guru is God.' But the rulers only want to listen to what Delhiites say, as they are their Guru. That is why injustice is being done by them. In Maharashtra, the slaves of Delhi have taken the vow to crush the sons of the land and the Marathi people. Let us unite and teach them such a lesson that they will not be left to falter,' said Thackeray.
He further added, 'Remember that we were and are with you, and we will come again.' He took a dig at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for his 'Mi Punha Yein' (I will come back again).'
Pawar said that while the teachers' responsibility is to extend education to students, it is the government's responsibility to ensure right to live with pride. 'We always worked with this attitude. I was told that the minister was coming to meet you and solve the problem. But since you are still sitting here, that means the issue has not been solved. I feel that those who have the responsibility to create the future generation should not face the trouble of fighting for their own rights,' said Pawar.