GHAZIABAD: In a first of its kind move in the state, three private schools in Ghaziabad have been imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh each by District Fee Regulation Committee ( DFRC ) for violation of UP Self Financed Independent Schools Fixation Fee Act 2018. The committee found that the schools- DPS Indirapuram Sun Valley International School , Vaishali and Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Sector 14, Vasundhara have been hiking school fee arbitrarily and in violation of the act.“The DFRC, which had recently meet following overwhelming complaints from parents that some private schools have been hiking fee in an arbitrary manner and in the first lot cases against six schools were taken up” said Ritu Maheshwari, district magistrate who also happens to be the chairperson of DFRC.“Three schools -DPS Indirapuram, Sun Valley International School, Vaishali and Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Sector 14, Vasundhara failed to produce required documents like balance sheet etc and wre also found to be non-cooperative so action as per the provisions of the Act was taken against them,” added Maheshwari.“Apart from fine these schools have also been debarred from hiking school fee in the academic session 2019-20 and they will also been ordered to refund excess fee it charged during academic year 2018-19 and revert to fee structure of 2017-18,” continued Maheshwari. “We are in the process of computing excess fee these schools charged to each students and as per initial calculation Seth Anandram Jaipuria School will have to refund between Rs 6337 to Rs 6933 per student, Sun Valley School between Rs 3600 to Rs 4800 per student depending on class” he added.Meeta Rai, principal of DPS Indirapuram, when contacted said that she had no information about it and declined to speak further. “As of now we have no information of the decision of DFRC” said Meta Rai, principal, DPS Indiprapuram.Shivani Jain, who is the president of All School Parents Association and also member of DFRC, welcomed the decision. “For years we have been fighting for curbs on schools who have been unduly hiking fee under one head or the other thereby putting undue burden on parents and DFRC’s decision should serve as a warning to schools who have ben indulging in hiking fee unlawfully,” said Shivani Jain, president, All School Parents Association.To rein in unaided private schools from arbitrarily hiking fee state government last year promulgated an Act-The UP self financed independent schools fixation fee Act 2018. A district level committee referred to as district fee regulation committee (DFRC) was also formed vested with the powers of civil court to decide on the issues related to fee hike.The committee has the representation from all stake holders comprising of district magistrate as its chairperson, district inspector of schools as its secretary, a chartered accountant, account officer, two members from school, parents association and executive engineer from PWD.Explaining the working of committee district inspector of schools Pankaj Pandey said as per the act there are two basic criteria which allows schools to hike fee. “By taking base year of 2105-16 either per capita salary hike of teachers or consumer price index of 5% either of which is lower side could be employed to hike salary” said Pankaj Pandey, DIOS.“The proposal to hike fee has to be placed in front of district fee regulation committee which will assess the validity of such hike and only after it gives its go ahead fee could be hiked” added Pandey.

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