The AAP Government has initiated process against a dozen of private schools in the national Capital that have illegally hiked their fee and have not returned capitation fee back to students. The Government has referred alleged illegal transaction cases of two branches of the Maxfort School to the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police. The Government action followed complaints by parents of about dozen-odd schools about illegal hike in their fee structure and non-refund of the capitation fee deposited by parents at the time of seeking admissions for their wards.
In their representation to the AAP Government, the Maxfort School Parents Association alleged the school authorities in Pitampura and Rohini branches had alleged that the results of their wards had been withheld as the authorities had been demanding revised fee which had been hiked illegally.
The association said that the school principal, teachers and administration staff have been constantly threatening parents over the phone and through notices that the results of their wards would not be declared if they do not give in to their “illegal and arbitrary demands of hiked fees”.
In her order, Deputy Director (Education) P lata Tara said that the results of Classes IV to VIII of the Parwana Road branch of the school were due on March 26 and that of Nursery to Class XII of the Rohini branch were scheduled for March 28. It said that even the orders of Education Directorate on April 16, 2015 regarding refund of donations had not been complied with by the authorities.
The order said that the matter has been examined and it has been observed that Rohini and Pitampura branches of the Maxfort School had not refunded the amount collected from the parents as donation/capitation at the time of granting admissions to their wards.
It said: “Further, it is held that on the alleged non-payment of hiked fee by the parents to the school, the Maxfort schools have struck off the names of the students and withheld the issuance of admit cards to the students appearing for the Board examinations. On the intervention of the department, the school has readmitted the students and issued admit cards to the concerned ones.” The school management was not available for comment.
The parents association through their representation to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had alleged that the school had indulged in illegal transaction of huge sums of money to fake companies and individuals. It alleged that illegal transactions made by the school to different societies and trusts were to the tune of about `50 crore. The association had charged the school authorities for allegedly indulging in money laundering as well.
The order said: “ Matter of alleged illegal transactions of huge sums of money to fake companies, individuals and illegal transfer of funds has been referred to the Economic Offence Wing of the Delhi Police vide this Directorate’s letter dated March 22, 2016 to register a case and take necessary action in the matter under intimation of this Directorate.”
The Government also directed the school to refund the donations or capitation fee charged from the parents. It directed the authorities not to demand any arrears from the parents and to declare the results of various classes at pre-determined dates unconditionally without insisting them to pay hiked fee.
The order said: “To utilise the reserve fund available with the school account as well as DRF account and revert back the amount in the school account, transferred to any society/trust/companies, if any as alleged, and meet out the expenditure of the school till the decision of the case registered in the Economic Offence Wing of the Delhi Police.”