Chandigarh bans private schools from increasing fees for academic 2020-21 due to COVID-19

The union territory of Chandigarh on Thursday has barred private schools from increasing the fee for the year 2020-21, without specific approval from the administration. It has stated that the schools will continue to charge the same fee as in the academic session 2019-20. Moreover, it has said that schools cannot include any 'hidden or additional charges'. 

The order further stated: "All private schools have been mandated to display the details of the fee structure (specifically tuition fee), as per the provisions of section 5(C) of the Fee Regulation Act, 2016 on their website and also intimate the same to the Administration by June 15."

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No fee hike 

“Private schools were asked to upload income, expenditure account and balance sheet as per the provisions of Section-5 of the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions Act, 2016, as extended to U.T., Chandigarh but most of the private schools have not complied with the said provisions of the Act and, therefore, the exact financial status of the most of the schools could not be ascertained.”

“Moreover, most of the schools have not uploaded the complete fee structure on their website as per the provisions of the Act. The affiliation bye-laws of CBSE, 2018 (7.3) also stipulate that all affiliated schools shall charge a fee under the heads prescribed/approved by the State Government,” the order read.

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The orders have been undersigned by the Governor of Punjab and Administrator, UT, Chandigarh, as Chairperson of State Disaster Management Authority. This comes days after the administration deferred the payment of fees on March 30 and revised its order regarding payment of monthly tuition fees in compliance with the interim directions of High Court. 

Meanwhile, as many as 4,977 samples have been tested for COVID-19 in Chandigarh so far and of them, 4,658 are negative and reports of 17 samples are awaited, as per health bulletin by the administration on Wednesday. A total of 82 cases are active in the city. The total tally is 301.

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Hotels, restaurants and hospitality services wait for SOP

Even as Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has allowed reopening of hotels, restaurants and hospitality services from June 8, the businesses in Chandigarh are waiting for the standard operating procedures (SOPs) by the government. In line with the MHA guidelines, Chandigarh has also extended the Coivd induced lockdown in containment zones till June 30 and allowed movement of individuals from 5 am to 9 pm from June 1. However, night curfews are still in place. 

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