NOIDA: The district fee regulation committee (DFRC) of Gautam Budh Nagar has scheduled a meeting on Tuesday to discuss complaints raised by parents against arbitrary fee hike by private schools. The meeting has finally been scheduled after the DRFC had to cancel four such sessions in a month because of the unavailability of senior administrative officials, who are at the helm of the committee.The meet coincides with the DFRC in Ghaziabad asking one private school to refund “excess fee” it charged in 2018-19 and pulled up 11 other schools for arbitrary hike in fee. The All Noida School Parents Association (ANSPA) said the committee was yet to discuss complaints raised by parents against the fee structure of at least four schools in the city.“Parents have raised objections against the sudden hike in fee in at least four schools in Noida. The parents have been demanding that all schools disclose their fee structure on their website, starting from 2016. But hardly any school has done it. Random fee hikes have also been introduced in some schools in the last quarter. We want DFRC to take strict action and penalise all violators of the Uttar Pradesh Fee Regulation Act (2018). Strict action is needed against the way fees are being imposed by private schools,” said K Arunachalam, general secretary of ANSPA.The DFRC said it hoped to hold regular meetings to address grievances of parents. “We have received complaints from more than one parent in each of the four schools. Parents of some other schools are also reaching out to us now. We hope the DFRC meetings in Noida get regulated so that schools become accountable for what they are charging parents from the coming session onwards. Parents should not be burdened with bills that are not justified,” said Yatendra Kasana, DFRC president.“The fee regulation committee will meet on February 19 and a fair hearing would be given to parents and schools. Necessary action will be taken if any hike is found unjustified,” said PK Upadhaya, the district inspector of schools.The UP Fee Regulation Act of 2018 proposes stringent measures to curb arbitrary fee hike by private schools, such as fines up to Rs 1 lakh and other penalties. Noida and Greater Noida have 139 private schools that come under the Act, which regulates fees in all such institutions that charge over Rs 20,000 every year.“We have already had four meetings cancelled since January. We hope the fifth one will be held to uphold the spirit of the UP Fee regulation Act,” Arunachalam added. In Ghaziabad, the DFRC has ordered Amity International School in Vasundhara to refund or adjust excess fees and issued notices to 11 other private schools over “arbitrary” fee hike.

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