The government is going to set up 100 new madrasas in the state. It has ruled out any chances of government recognition and affiliation to the West Bengal Board of Madrasa Education for the hundreds of existing unrecognised madrasas.

Sources said the Madrasa Education department is in the process of formulating a “uniform policy”, parallel to school education, that will make it possible for setting up new madrasas across the state. They said, the madrasas that are run privately across the state should not hope for anything substantial in the near future.

According to sources in the West Bengal Madrasa Board, over 400 applications from madrasas seeking recognition have been lying unattended. Madrasa Board president Sohrab Hossain confirmed that there are 425 to 430 applications lying with the Board.

Sources in the ministry told The Indian Express that there’s no thought at present on what is to be the fate of the private madrasas being run across the state. “We have no directions from the ministry on what should be done with the madrasas seeking recognition,” said an official.

The private madrasas have for years been accused by various governments of promoting fundamentalism. State Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had once questioned the curriculum of the private madrasas. Despite this, the administration has not done much to help the financially crippled institutions to join the “mainstream”.

Hundreds of private madrasas that are financially sound, at the same time, have stayed away from the government funding, as this will force them to accept government appointed teachers and follow the government declared syllabus.