HC gives 3 weeks to govt to set up school fee revision panel
Jaipur, May 29 -- The Rajasthan high court gave the state three weeks to establish the fee revision committee for schools, expressing displeasure at the failure of the government to fulfil its undertaking given last year.
Prateek Kasliwal, counsel for the petitioner, Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan Vidyashram, said "The state government had formed the committee without the non-officials as representatives. In the last hearing on last Monday, education secretary Krishna Kunal gave an affidavit in court saying the nomination of non-government members of the committee could not be completed due to various reasons. We objected to this saying the meeting could not be held till the committee's constitution was complete."
As per the Rajasthan Schools (Regulation of Fees Act 2016), the state government has to constitute a divisional fee regulatory committee that will regulate collection of fee by private schools in the state.
In case of a dispute between the school and parent, the matter will be referred to the revision committee which will be constituted by the state government. As per the act, the committee will comprise apart from education department officials, two representatives of private schools and two representative of parents.
Education secretary Krishna Kunal, who appeared through video conferencing, and additional advocate general Basant Singh Chhaba, who appeared on behalf of the state government, said they would form the committee within six weeks.
However, the court took a strong view of the government's inaction and gave three weeks' time to form the committee. During the hearing on Tuesday, justice Anoop Kumar Dhand warned of action against officers of the education department if the government failed to comply with the court order. The judge gave July 1 as the next date of hearing in the matter.
"In its order, the court noted that the government had given an undertaking that the revision committee would be established by June 15, 2024 but failed to do so which was contempt of court. The court said it was giving a last respite to the government and if the committee was not set up in three weeks time, proceedings would be initiatied against the education secretary and officials," said Kasliwal....
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