The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday launched an online registration service for private primary schools affiliated to the Maharashtra State Board of Education.
1,000 schools to benefit
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the service as part of the State’s ease of doing business initiative. The service, which may be accessed at the BMC’s website: mcgm.gov.in, will benefit 436 private aided and 665 private unaided primary schools in the city.
Education Officer Mahesh Palkar said, “All schools [ affiliated to the State board] will have to upload their documents online. They will receive registration, pre-registration and renewal certificates within 35 days. Earlier, school officials had to visit the offices of the Education Department to hand over documents. The process used to take around six months. Now, civic officials will have to complete the registration within 35 days or give an explanation if they fail to do so.”
Arduous task made easy
Getting a private primary school registered with the State board is usually an arduous task as the BMC seeks 17 documents for the purpose. The documents include structural stability certificate and building plan from an authorised, registered architect; building agreement from the landlord or owner of the trust; land details; copy of trust; approved building plan; commencement certificate; audit report of past three years; and inspection report.
The procedure has to be repeated every five years when the registration has to be renewed. Schools affiliated to other boards only require a No Objection Certificate from the BMC to register themselves.
The online service has also been extended to provide licences under the Shops and Establishments Act. Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta said the facility would benefit 6,62,179 registered establishments, which include shops, restaurants, theatres and cinema complexes.
The writer is a freelance journalist