New Delhi, July 29, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday levelled serious allegations against the Maharashtra government, claiming that a ₹200 crore extortion racket was operating within the state’s School Education Department and accusing officials of demanding bribes for granting approvals to private educational institutions.
Addressing reporters in New Delhi and posting a detailed statement on social media platform X, Raut alleged that obtaining mandatory approvals for schools in Maharashtra had become a “money-driven process,” placing a heavy financial burden on private educational trusts.
According to Raut, institutions that invest substantial sums in establishing schools are allegedly compelled to pay bribes at multiple stages of the approval process, with total unofficial payments reaching nearly ₹50 lakh per school.
He also released what he described as a “rate card” for various approvals, alleging that officials demanded ₹5 lakh for issuing a Letter of Intent (LOI), ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh at different administrative levels for approval of self-financed schools, and ₹8 lakh for sanctioning additional classroom divisions.
Raut specifically accused an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the School Education Minister’s office of demanding bribes and claimed the official refused to meet representatives of educational institutions unless such demands were met. He further alleged that even after making payments, school managements were forced to wait for months to secure approvals.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader claimed that several educational institution representatives had approached him with documents and evidence relating to the alleged extortion network, which he estimated had generated around ₹200 crore across the state.
Contrasting the allegations with the condition of public education, Raut claimed that nearly 2,000 government schools in Maharashtra had recently shut down due to inadequate funding.
He also raised concerns over examination-related irregularities, alleging repeated paper leaks in examinations such as the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC), Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), Drug Inspector recruitment and NEET-UG. Raut further alleged widespread circulation of fake educational certificates and claimed that “two out of every 10 people in Maharashtra hold fake degrees issued over the last 10 years.”
Raut also criticised the deployment of teachers for non-academic administrative duties, suggesting that unemployed youth should instead be engaged for such assignments.
Holding Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis politically accountable, Raut accused the ruling dispensation of avoiding responsibility for alleged failures in the education sector. Referring to the NEET-UG controversy, he demanded that the Prime Minister take responsibility for what he described as administrative lapses.
There was no immediate response from the Maharashtra government or the BJP to Raut’s allegations.
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