Pursue school fee matter with grievance panel: Punjab and Haryana high court

CHANDIGARH: Refusing to entertain a petition seeking directions against charging of any fee other than tuition fee by private schools in Haryana, the Punjab and Haryana high court has asked the petitioner to pursue the matter with the grievance redressal committee, Panipat.
“In the circumstances, we are not inclined to entertain the present petition at this stage firstly on account of the fact that none of the private schools have been impleaded as the respondents and secondly that the petitioner in respect of one particular instance has already approached the chairman of the grievances redressal committee and the matter is pending before the said authority,” the HC observed.
The HC ordered that the matter shall be looked into and decided by the committee, Panipat, expeditiously.
The matter had reached the high court in the wake of a petition filed by Bal Kranti Trust Bhiwani, seeking directions to prohibit private schools from charging fees other than tuition fees from students in Haryana.
Responding to the petition, the counsel for the Haryana government informed that the grievance redressal committee is competent to decide the complaint filed by the petitioner and that it shall do so in accordance with law expeditiously.
After hearing state’s reply, the HC asked the petitioner to pursue the matter with the committee, Panipat.
Disposing of the matter, the HC also made it clear that any decision by Haryana on the issue shall be subject to the outcome of the matter pending before the HC and the apex court.