Excess fees issue: Delhi High Court gives private schools 2 weeks to deposit 75 per cent of principal amount

Source – intoday.in

The private schools that did not refund the excess fee charged by them despite the government order, have been given two weeks to deposit 75 per cent of the principal amount to avoid facing a coercive action.

The directions came from the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that asked these city schools to deposit the amount in the form of “cash, fix deposits receipts or bank guarantees favouring the Registrar General” in the HC registry.

The court took strong exception to the fact that over six years have passed since 2011 and the schools still have not complied with Justice Anil Dev Singh committee recommendations.

The committee had asked these schools to refund the excess with nine per cent interest would face the prospect of either derecognition or takeover.

The schools had hiked the fee despite having adequate funds, and were subsequently asked by the court committee to return the money to parents.

“We had given you adequate time to schools to put your house in order. Yet, the schools have not complied with our order. They must themselves deposit the amount extracted in excess from students. We acknowledge that there may be variations in the amount calculated by the committee. But to say that halt the whole process, is not fair. We can’t pass a blanket order that don’t recover the money. You deposit the amount and we are inclined to give an expeditious hearing,” the bench observed.