Private schools in Delhi that do not refund the excess fees charged by them on the pretext of implementing the 6th Pay Commission will face derecognition or takeover, the AAP government told the Delhi High Court on Wednesday.
The submission was made by the Directorate of Education (DoE) before a Bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Mukta Gupta, which was hearing an NGO’s plea claiming that the recommendation of a court-appointed expert panel to refund the excess fees was not being complied with by several private schools.
Plea by NGO
The NGO, Abhibhavak Mahasangh, had also alleged that the DoE was not ensuring implementation of the recommendations of the Justice Anil Dev Committee set up by the HC to review the fees of the private schools.
After examining 1,092 private schools, the panel had said that 531 had charged excess fee and recommended that it should be refunded with 9% interest. It had also recommended special inspection of 247 schools.
Pursuant to the High Court asking the department what steps it has taken to ensure compliance of the recommendations, the DoE filed an affidavit laying down the measures it has taken and proposes to take, including derecognition and takeover, of the private schools which do not refund the excess fees.
The next hearing is on August 10.
The DoE, in its affidavit filed through advocate Santosh Tripathi, has said that it has issued specific orders to “471 erring schools” to comply with the committee’s recommendations, failing which necessary action will be taken against them under the Delhi School Education Act and Rules of, 1973 (DSEAR).
The action being contemplated were either de-recognition of the errant schools or their takeover, except in the case of minority institutions.
The HC had set up the panel and issued directions for refund of excess fees in 2011 on a plea by the NGO. Thereafter, the NGO had moved the court claiming that over 500 private schools were yet to refund ₹350 crore of excess fee taken from students. It had also sought initiation of contempt proceedings against all such institutions.
