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How can Rs 10 lakh be levied as one-time fee: Hyderabad High Court

Court asks Telangana, petitioners against high fees for steps to control schools.

Hyderabad: The High Court on Monday said that there is a dire need to restrict collection of exorbitant fee, like the reported collection of one-time fee of Rs 7lakh to Rs 10 lakh by some private schools in the city.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice A.V. Sesha Sai was dealing with petitions by Hyderabad School Parents Association and others challenging the inaction of authorities in restricting private schools from charging exorbitant fee.

When counsels appearing for the petitioners brought the issue of onetime collection of fee to the notice of the court, the bench wondered what a “one-time fee” is and under what authority this was being collected.

Counsel for the government replied that the government had prescribed a limitation for collection of one-time fee. The bench asked how the schools were then collecting such huge amounts.

The bench asked the government to explore possibilities for bringing out a policy which can provide quality education to children with a rational fee structure and also provide land to private schools for a reasonable price if they come forward to offer education for nominal fee.

When the bench asked for the details of schools which have collected huge one-time fee, Mr A. Sanjeev Kumar, special counsel for Telangana state, submitted that they had details of 160 schools.

Mr L. Ravichander, senior counsel, told the bench that the government has closed more than 4,000 government schools in the state. Expressing surprise at the decision of the government, the bench suggested handing over management of schools to private parties in case the government is unable to run them provided the private parities offer education for a reasonable price.

The bench told Mr J. Ramachandra Rao, Additional Advocate General of Telangana state, to inform the government not to take the issue easily as there was a larger public interest involved. The bench asked counsels appearing for petitioners and schools to come up with suggestions in this regard by the next date of hearing.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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