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IL&FS Education, Core Education and Technologies and Birla Shloka Edutech have been selected for a Rs 900-crore project to provide computerisation services to 5,000 Government schools in key districts of Maharashtra.
The three companies have been contracted for the supply of computers (and related accessories), education software and other management systems over a five-year period, according to a communication from the Directorate of Educationaccessed by Business Line .
This is the third phase of the ICT@schools scheme being implemented by the Centre in partnership with States and Union Territories across the country.
BOOT model
The contracts have been structured on a build, own, operate (BOOT) model, as per which vendors will have to finance the upfront capital expenses required for providing computerisation services. Seven other companies, including large players such as NIIT, Aptech, Educomp and Everonn, had evinced interest in the project , according to sources.
However, the selected three emerged as the lowest bidders in their respective regions.
The Directorate has fixed the payout for each school at Rs 17.9 lakh.
Thus, IL&FS Education & Technology Services will receive Rs 458 crore for the implementation in 2,560 schools of Nasik, Aurangabad, Amravati, Nagpur and Latur regions.
Core Education has been selected for 1,590 schools in Mumbai, Greater Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune. It will collect Rs 284 crore over the five-year period.
Similarly, the BSE-listed Birla Shloka Edutech will provide IT services in 850 schools of the Kolhapur region for an overall consideration of Rs 152 crore.
Vijay Mishra, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of Birla Shloka, said that his company would start providing services to the schools in Kolhapur by August. The contract provides for a provision of payments from the Directorate every six months, he added.
Launched by the Human Resource and Development (HRD) Ministry in 2004, the ICT@schools scheme aims to provide computer education to students of secondary and higher secondary Government and Government-aided schools. In Maharashtra, the first phase of the scheme covered 500 schools (in 2007-2008), while the second covered 2,500 schools (2011-2012).
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