DISTRICT v. GUNTUR DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH

The present Writ Petition is filed questioning the action of the Respondents in not releasing the admitted due amount to a tune of Rs. 33,39,800/- (Thirty Three Lakhs Thirty Nine Thousand Eight Hundred Rupees), together with interest thereon @ 24 % per annum to the Petitioner Institution towards reimbursement of the expenditure incurred by them under the 'Reimbursement of Tuition Fee (RTF) scheme' academic years 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25.

The facts leading to filing of this petition are as follows: The petitioner is a private unaided college. In order to promote academic education in the State, State Government had introduced a scheme originally titled as Right to Tuition Fee (RTE) and Maintenance fee of Student (MTF) through the Social Welfare Department. The students are allotted to the petitioner institution through the social welfare department. For the academic years 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25, the petitioner college was allotted students as per the schemes, but the amounts were not credited to the college accounts 5 though there is no dispute with regard to the amount due.

It is further stated that “Jnanabhumi” smart portal was created to streamline the post metric scholarships eco-system vide G.O.Ms.No.45, Social Welfare (Edn.2) Department, on

09.06.2017. It is stated that the said portal has all the details of the colleges and the students admitted among other stakeholder details. Vide G.O.Ms.No.81, Social Welfare (Edn.2) Department, dated 07.05.2019, the Jnanabhumi portal was modified for better services. It is stated that the amounts due to the colleges under RTF and MTF schemes would be available on this “Jnanabhumi” portal with details of the student.

The learned counsel for the petitioner submits that in the face of the availability of details of amounts due to the petitioner college under the above mentioned schemes, there is no justification to delay the payments.

The learned Government Pleader, on instructions dated

25.11.2025, received from the Director of Social Welfare Department, submits that the writ petitioner has wrongly described the claimed amount as “admitted dues” under the fee reimbursement scheme. It is submitted that the said amount 6 represents only the petitioner’s claim and not admitted dues. The dues are calculated strictly in accordance with the data available on the Jnanabhumi portal, which is the online platform for registration of applications, verification, processing, and release of fee reimbursement amounts..