Thane: Over two months into the new academic year, thousands of students across Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) schools remain without essential educational materials, water bottles, and lunchboxes.
The delay stems from a severe budget deficit faced by the civic education department. While the total estimated cost to provide all items—including raincoats and sweaters—was projected at ₹9.69 crore, the available fund under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme is restricted to only ₹6.33 crore.
To manage the shortfall, the administration approved a ₹6.18 crore proposal to cover basic educational supplies, water bottles, and lunchboxes for students from Balwadi (pre-primary) up to Class 8. However, seasonal necessities like raincoats and sweaters have been excluded from the current distribution plan. Initial proposals had also excluded 9th and 10th-grade students due to the crunch, though recent all-party meetings aim to secure additional grants to cover high schoolers.
The crisis affects a total of 194 TMC schools, comprising:
69 Pre-primary schools
102 Primary schools
23 Secondary schools
Parent Dissatisfaction and Bureaucratic Hurdles
The situation has sparked widespread anger among parents, who expressed disappointment over the lack of raincoats during the peak monsoon season.
"Currently, benefits will only extend from Balwadi to Class 8 for basic educational supplies. Sweaters and raincoats will not be provided due to fund deficits," stated Mitali Sancheti, Deputy Commissioner of the TMC Education Department.
Further administrative hurdles threaten additional delays. Even after general body approvals, the lengthy process of floating tenders, submitting receipts, and disbursing funds through the DBT scheme means students may not receive relief anytime soon, raising serious concerns about municipal administrative efficiency.
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