Bhubaneswar, Dec. 9: School and mass education minister Debi Prasad Mishra has warned of action against the private institutes that are violating the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, by not admitting poor students.

According to the act, all private schools are supposed to reserve 25 per cent of entry-level school admission seats with free and compulsory education for students from economically-weaker and socially-disadvantaged families in the age group of 6-14 years.

At least 212 schools in Bhubaneswar are not following the act, Mishra said in the Assembly today.

He further said a probe was being conducted and that the schools that had flouted the rules would be asked to give an explanation.

"Action will be taken against the erring schools," he said.

Earlier, the state government had announced that it would reimburse Rs 9,184 per year per child to schools admitting students under the act. Schools could claim reimbursement against the quota admissions from the respective district education officers.

While some schools rued that this amount was "too meagre," others claimed that they had no applicants for the seats. Few other school authorities said there was no directive from the government on admitting such students.

In last September, the department came out with comprehensive guidelines for private schools in the state to implement the 25 per cent quota system.

The directive also clearly said private schools that had taken any form of government help, such as land, furniture, financial aid under MP or MLA local area development scheme, would not be provided any reimbursement from the state government to admit students under 25 per cent quota.

Private schools would function as neighbourhood schools for such children staying within the distance of one kilometre.

"If the seats remain vacant due to unavailability of students, schools can admit poor students from other areas as well. The schools were also asked to display the seat intakes on their notice boards. But in reality, many people from economically weaker sections are being shooed away by the school authorities," said Basudev Bhatta, president of the school students' parents' association in Bhubaneswar.

"Many poor parents are also not aware of the provisions and benefits of the act. The state government must initiate steps to inform the poor students and their parents about the provisions," he said.