Delhi HC refuses to stay order against fee hike

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court has refused to grant any interim relief to an association, representing over 400 private schools, which had challenged the recommendations of a court-appointed panel to review fee hike.

Action Committee Unaided Recognised Private Schools had appealed against a single judge order declining to stay enforcement of Justice Anil Dev Singh committee set up to review fee hikes by the private schools to implement the sixth pay commission. Agreeing with the decision of the single judge, a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Deepa Sharma said the association, by filing a petition in a representative capacity, cannot seek a blanket order against the Directorate of Education to restrain it from implementing the panel's order.

The bench pointed out that the financial position of each school, represented by the association, can be different and specific recommendations have been made by the panel in each case after examining the records produced before it.

On July 18, HC had declined relief to the association, noting that an interim order can be passed only if the parties first deposit the entire tuition fee and development fee, along with an interest of 9% per annum, as recommended by the fee hike committee. The order had come on the association's plea for quashing the recommendations on the ground that the committee did not have the jurisdiction to make such suggestions.