Bhayandar: The Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation’s (MBMC) plan to start a CBSE school appears to have hit a roadblock with the civic body yet to finalise an operating agency to run the school even as the new academic year was just around the corner.

Despite two years of administrative efforts, the appointment of a private institution to manage the school remains pending.

The MBMC runs 36 schools across the city, serving thousands of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, offering education in Hindi, Urdu, Marathi, and Gujarati. In 2023, the corporation decided to establish a CBSE school, initially covering grades 1 to 4, in partnership with a private management. However, it failed to elicit any interest from private bodies last year.

This year, the MBMC invited fresh proposals from private institutions and did succeed in receiving several submissions. But the selection process has not been completed and necessary educational materials have yet to be procured.

Pradeep Jangam, founder of Jiddi Maratha Prathisthan, criticized the delay, stating, “Every political leader here has their own CBSE schools and controls MBMC. Why would they support a CBSE school for Mira Bhayandar? We have been fighting for education rights for five years.”

Sadique Basha, a CPI(M) leader, accused MBMC of corruption, saying, “MBMC does not even enforce the 25 per cent reservation for poor students under the Right to Education Act in private schools. Expecting them to provide a CBSE school is unrealistic.”

However, Prasad Shingate, deputy commissioner, MBMC, assured, “Efforts are ongoing to complete the process soon and launch the school this year.”