Why order on refund of excess fees not implemented: HC to govt

The Delhi High Court today asked the AAP government why it has not implemented its directions and the recommendations of an expert panel to ensure that private schools refund the excess fees charged by them.
A bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Mukta Gupta said the high court had issued the direction for refund of excess fees in August 2011 but no reasons have been shown why steps have not been taken to implement this order.
The bench noted that the authorities have also not given any reason for not implementing the recommendations of the Justice Anil Dev Committee, set up by the high court to review the fees of the private schools

"Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to ask the Principal Secretary, Education, Government of Delhi to file a status report on affidavit apprising this court of the steps taken by them in consonance with the directions of this court and the recommendations of the committee, before the next date of hearing (on May 30)," the bench said.
The panel had by way of several reports recommended refund of excess fees by over 500 private schools in the national capital.
The bench was today told by an NGO, on whose plea the directions were issued by the high court in 2011, that the orders of the court and the panel's recommendations had not been implemented by the government.

The NGO told the bench that over 500 private schools were yet to refund Rs 350 crore of excess fee taken from students on the pretext of implementing the Sixth Pay Commission and sought initiation of contempt proceedings against all such institutions.