Telangana Schools Struggle as Grants Remain Pending Four Months into Academic Year

Hyderabad: Four months into the academic year 2024-25, government and local body schools across Telangana are facing severe financial strain due to the delay in the release of the composite school grant by the State government.

The grants, which are vital for purchasing essential items like stationery, have not been sanctioned, leaving schools in a difficult position.

The composite school grant is used to purchase necessary supplies such as chalk pieces, dusters, white papers, and registers. It also helps fund examinations and celebrations of national festivals like Independence Day and Republic Day. Additionally, schools depend on this grant for paying utility bills like electricity and internet charges. The grant amount is determined based on the enrollment numbers in each school.

In previous years, the government would release 50 percent of the composite school grant by June. Last year, Rs. 34.95 crore was allocated as the first installment in June for the 2023-24 academic year. However, for 2024-25, even after four months, no funds have been sanctioned or released.

This delay has placed significant pressure on schools, particularly headmasters, who are being forced to cover the costs of necessary expenses like stationery out of their own pockets. They hope to be reimbursed once the government releases the grant.

A headmaster expressed concern: “For Independence Day celebrations, we had to make arrangements, including buying sweets for the students. Without the grants, we had to pay from our own pockets. We request the government to immediately address this issue and release the grants.”

Additionally, schools are dealing with delays in sanitation grants. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had promised special funds for sanitation maintenance during a meeting with promoted teachers in August. However, these grants have not been released in several districts.

The School Education director, A. Narasimha Reddy, recently instructed district collectors to release school facility maintenance grants from the district mineral fund trust to Amma Adarsha Patashala Committees (AAPC) of the respective schools. Despite this, many schools are yet to receive the funds needed for sanitation works.

The Telangana State Gazetted Headmasters’ Association has submitted a representation to the School Education director, urging immediate action and the release of sanitation grants to AAPCs. They also requested guidelines on utilizing the funds appropriately.

Attempts to reach Principal Secretary to Government (Education), Burra Venkatesham, for comment were unsuccessful.