New Delhi, February 22: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the State government to pay by July 15 Rs 3,430 crore fee reimbursement arrears to private professional and engineering colleges.
A Bench of Justices RV Raveendran and AK Patnaik asked the state government to pay the amount in three instalments _ the first by the end of March, second by May-end and the last by July 15.
The State government is under pressure from private professional and engineering colleges who have threatened to shut shop from Feb 24 if it failed to meet their demands.
Though the government released about Rs 1,100 crore recently, the college managements are insisting on payment of another Rs 615 crore immediately and clear the remaining before the end of the academic year.
As per the Supreme Court’s directive, the government has to pay 25 per cent of the amount by March-end, another 50 per cent before May 31 and the remaining by July 15 before the commencement of the next academic year.
The government sought time till September to clear the arrears but the Supreme Court bench rejected its request.
The court gave the orders following an appeal filed by the State government against the High Court order.
In its appeal, it partly blamed the delay in payment to commissioning of online system of registration.
–IANS