Fresh show-cause notices issued to 79 pvt schools

CHANDIGARH: The fee regulatory body of Chandigarh has issued fresh show-cause notices to all 79 private schools of the city, district education officer Alka Mehta said on Tuesday.

The schools have been asked to send compliance reports before July 4 regarding uploading of balance sheets online, along with the undertaking that they charged only tuition fee for the last academic year.

This is the second round of mass show-cause notices issued to the schools for non-compliance of the provisions of the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions Act, 2016. Previously on May 26, 51 private unaided schools of Chandigarh were asked to explain their position within seven working days.

The notices were issued by the DEO, who is also the member-secretary of the fee regulatory body. “Some schools have been issued two show-cause notices, first to upload the balance sheet online and the other one to comply with the directions regarding charging of only tuition fees. We have also asked schools to clarify that they have not increased the fees.”

The notices read: “The schools still failed to comply with the instructions of the fee regulatory body and contravened the provision of act despite so many notices and reminders.”

The notice further demanded that a compliance report regarding the provisions of the act be sent before July 4, categorically stating that “no further chance will be given and the matter will be submitted to the fee regulatory body for the penalty.”

The standoff between the UT education department and private schools started when the UT directed the schools to defer the collection of school fees during the lockdown period. The schools, however, ignored the directive saying they won’t be paying salaries to their staff unless they were allowed to collect fees. Later, invoking the fee regulation act, Mehta asked the schools to upload their balance sheets online.

As per the Act, which was notified in 2018 in Chandigarh, if any school contravenes the provisions, it shall be punished with a fine between ₹60,000 to ₹4 lakh depending on the number of violations and the level of school.

HS Mamik, president, Independent Schools Association (ISA), said: “The matter is subjudice and the education department should be patient and await the decision instead of issuing notices. It seems that the department has extended vacations in government schools and hence, is free to spite the private schools.”

HAVE BEEN ASKED TO SEND COMPLIANCE REPORTS ALONG WITH UNDERTAKING THAT THEY CHARGED ONLY TUITION FEE BY JULY 4