NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Monday extended, till April 30, its interim stay on a single judge bench's order allowing city's private unaided schools to hike their fees for implementing recommendations of the Seventh Central Pay Commission on salaries of teachers and other employees.
A bench of Justice S. Muralidhar and Justice IS Mehta said that their interim order on a stay will continue and listed the matter for further hearing on April 30. Hearing the Delhi government's plea seeking quashing of single judge bench's order setting aside the government's April 13, 2018 circular, the court had on last Wednesday had stayed, till April 8, the single judge bench's order.
The Delhi government, by the April 13, 2018 circular, had restrained private unaided schools which were on government land from hiking tuition amounts without the approval of the Directorate of Education, but the single judge bench allowed the plea of Action Committee Unaided Recognised Private Schools challenging it.
Meanwhile, the Action Committee - Unaided Recognised Private Schools told the court that the decision of hike in fees was taken not only to improve the pay scale of its teachers but to improve the infrastructure of the schools. Welcoming the court order, Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia said: "Congratulations to parents of children studying in private schools. We will not allow arbitrary fees hike by private schools."