Stringent action will be taken against private schools, colleges and aided institutions that collect fees from students belonging to backward classes, Social Welfare Minister A Narayanaswamy warned on Monday.

Speaking to reporters after holding a meeting with Minister for Higher Education C T Ravi, the minister asked the colleges not to worry about fee dues. The Karnataka government has been clearing dues of the colleges over payment of fees to backward class students in a phased manner.

The earlier governments had failed to clear dues towards students’ fees since 1992. As a result, the present dispensation has to clear a whopping Rs 142 crore, Narayanaswamy said. The State government cleared Rs 95 crore last year and this fiscal, Rs 80 crore will have to be reimbursed to colleges. Still, Rs 50 crore remains to be cleared, he said.

After securing the chief minister’s nod, Rs 125 crore will be released, he added. Also, the minister said the Department of Social Welfare had decided to increase the annual income limit of students belonging to Category 1 from Rs one lakh to Rs two lakh.