The Delhi High Court has refused to grant any interim relief to an association, representing over 400 private schools here, which has challenged the recommendations of a court-appointed panel to review fee hike.
The Action Committee Unaided Recognised Private Schools had challenged a single judge order declining to stay the implementation of recommendations by the Justice Anil Dev Singh committee.
The panel was set up in 2011 by the High Court to review fees charged by Delhi private schools on the pretext of implementing the Sixth Pay Commission.
Special inspection
After examining 1,092 private schools, the panel had said that 531 among them had charged excess fee and recommended that it should be refunded with 9% interest. It had also recommended special inspection of 247 other schools.
Upholding the decision of the single judge, a Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Deepa Sharma said the association, by filing a petition in a representative capacity, cannot seek a blanket order against the Directorate of Education (DoE) to restrain it from implementing the panel’s order.
Financial position
The Bench said the financial position of each school, represented by the association, would be different and specific recommendations have been made by the panel in each case after examining the records produced before it. “The appeal for setting aside the impugned order [of the single judge], is therefore, declined,” the court said.
Notices issued
To ensure compliance, the DoE had on May 29 issued notices to several defaulting schools telling them that failure to refund excess fees as recommended by the committee could lead to their de-recognition or taking over of their management by the department as per the Delhi School Education Act and Rules, 1973.