Several schools in the state capital are unhappy with the education department for not reimbursing the amount spent on admitting underprivileged students in the institutions in accordance with the Right to Education Act.

The Right to Education Act, states that schools have to reserve 25 per cent of their seats for students belonging to the underprivileged category of society in entry classes (nursery-Class 1).

Sources said the state was supposed to spend Rs 3,070 per annum as reimbursement for every child admitted to school according to provisions of the statute. But authorities of schools such as West Point School, BD Public School and RPS Public School claimed that they have not received the reimbursement amounts from the government despite filling up the seats in their respective institutions neant for the students coming from the economically weaker section.

West Point School principal Shahala said: “We have taken in five students from the economically weaker section of society this year. But we have not received the reimbursement amount for this till date. The only reason I find for this is that our institution belongs to the category of non-affiliated schools and we have not been asked by district education officials to furnish necessary details.”

B.D. Public School director SB Rai said: “We have not taken any student from the economically weaker section students this year because we were awaiting the apex court’s decision on the Act. We had given admission to such students last year but did not receive the reimbursement amount till date. In 2011, we had admitted 10 students in nursery.”

A school principal on the condition of anonymity said: “We have no problem in providing education to students from the economically weaker section of society. But the state government has to support us for this. The government had said it would reimburse us for the expense. But it is not keeping its word. The state is spending minimum amount for the education of these children.”

Kumar Pushpanjay, a representative of the RPS Public School management, said: “We have filled up 25 per cent of the seats in Class I with students from the weaker sections of society. But we have not received any reimbursement amount till date. We have been following the provisions stipulated by the Right to Education Act every year.”

Modern School principal Meera Purbey said: “The entry level in our school is nursery. Last year we admitted 10 students from the economically weak section in the class last year and 15 this year. We have not got the reimbursement amount for the two years. We have also not pursued the matter.”

Education department principal secretary Amarjeet Sinha said, “Though I have not gone through the file yet, I have come to know from officials that the schools have not been reimbursed. I'll see to it and ensure that the schools get the payment at the earliest.”