In a bid to regulate private schools, the Arvind Kejriwal Government is bringing the Delhi School (Verification of Accounts and Refund of Excess Fee) Bill 2015 in the Delhi Assembly on Friday.
The Bill empowers the Government to constitute a high level committee, having powers of civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, for verification of accounts of the private unaided recognised schools, direct the refund of the excess fee charged by the school and hear complaints or take suo motu action regarding violation of the provisions of Delhi School Education Act 1973 in the national Capital.
The committee can summon any authority and school management for their audit verification. This is the first occasion that any Government is going to introduce Bills on a day that is considered as private members day, said sources.
The draft Bill stated, “All proceedings before the committee shall be deemed to be judicial proceedings within the meaning of sections 193 and 228 of the Indian Penal Code and the committee shall be deemed to be a civil court for the purposes of sections 345 and 346 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973”.
According to the Bill, if any school found guilty, there is a provision of maximum fine of Rs5 lakh and three years imprisonment to school authority.
“If the committee directs any school to refund the excess fee, it will also direct the school to refix its fees reasonably for the ensuing session and if school again fails to fix fee appropriately as per recommendations of the committee within the prescribed time limit, the committee may direct Director to fix the fees of the school,” the Bill said.
The proposed Bill stated, “Every school shall submit duly audited financial return and other return and document along with the proposed fee structure for the next academic year to the committee in such form and in such manner as may be prescribed.
“To strengthen the education system in private unaided recognised schools, effective redressal of complaints of parents regarding exorbitant fee or unjustified fee hike made by private unaided recognised schools are required.”
The expenditure (approximately rupees two crores and fifty lakhs only per annum) of running the Committee is to be debited on the consolidated fund from the Delhi Government and no additional financial assistance will be required from the Central Government to meet the expenditure, said sources.
The Government is also bringing amendment in the Delhi School Education Bill 2015. The new rules will be implemented for admissions to nursery schools in January next year. An amendment to Rule 145 of the Act will grant the Government the
power to create guidelines for nursery schools.
Under the proposed guidelines, schools found guilty of charging a capitation fee will have to pay 10 times the fee amount or a fine of Rs5 lakh, whichever is higher.
Schools found screening teachers or parents will have to pay a fine of Rs5 lakh the first time and Rs10 lakh if it is found
doing so again.