leader of Opposition (loP) in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta has demanded that the Delhi Government must attach bank accounts of private schools to refund excess fees charged by them from the students in the name of implementing 6th Pay Commission. He also alleged that the announcement of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to de-recognise private school is nothing but a futile exercise.
The BJP leader also said that the petition was first filed by him as a president of 'Abhibhavak Mahasangh' in the Delhi High Court against the fees hike on the name of implementing the Sixth Pay Commissions in 2009. "Hearing the petition, the High Court had ruled against the private schools. Justice Anil Dev Committee was also constituted by the Court to investigate the accounts of the schools," he said.
Referring the statements of Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia regarding the issue of notices to 449 private schools for returning extra fees charged by them, Gupta said the threats being given to such schools are nothing except gaining political mileage at the time of Bawana Assembly bypolls.
"Issuing notices to private schools for their take over or de-recognition is only an attempt to linger on the matter further. This is a straight forward case of contempt of Delhi High Court orders," Gupta alleged.
Gupta also said that despite number of reports having been submitted to the Government by Justice Anil Dev Committee, it had totally failed to implement the same. "It shows the apathy of the Government in this matter. If the Government really wants to do something it could have attached the bank account of these private schools to ensure refund of extra fees charged from the parents.
Gupta's statement comes a day after Kejriwal warned 449 private schools to either return the extra fees charged by them or the Government would "take over" them. Saying that taking over these schools would be the only option for his Government in case the schools fail to implement the Justice Anil Dev Singh Committee directions, the Chief Minister sternly said, he did not intend to "witch-hunt" or "interfere" in private schools but only "discipline them". The CM on Friday held a media briefing over the issue, highlighting that the Government is serious in taking the private schools to task in case they fail to refund the extra fees.