Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Friday tabled the Delhi School Education Amendment Bill and the Delhi Schools Verification of Accounts and Refund of Excess Fee Bill, amid ruckus created by the Opposition. Attacking the AAP government for not following the constitutional provisions before tabling the bill, the three BJP MLAs staged a walkout. The amendment seeks to put an end to the capitation fee charged by the schools by provisions to impose fine up to Rs 10 lakh or imprisonment up to three years.
On the third day of the ongoing Winter Session of the Delhi Assembly, Mr Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, presented the amendments in the DSEAR Bill, in a bid to improve the education system of the national capital. Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta protested the government’s move by alleging that it did not follow the proper constitutional provisions before tabling the bill.
The Opposition members staged a walkout when even after their protests Mr Sisodia tabled the bill. Mr Gupta alleged that the AAP government is just trying to gain political points and is not serious about the amendment to relieve the public from the high-handedness of private schools. “If the government was serious, it would have followed proper constitutional provisions so that the notification for the amendments is issued without any hassle.”
Mr Sisodia tabled both the bills and attacked the Opposition saying that whenever anything good is done for Delhi, the BJP protests. “The public is fed up of the high-handedness of the private schools and the government is trying to free it of this situation. The amendments are necessary for the bright future of the city’s children. According to the law, the schools should be run by the trusts and charities, but the parents are fed up of the business mindedness in the name of trusts and charitable organisations. According to the amendment, if the schools charge capitation fee, they will be liable to pay a fine of five times the fee charged up to Rs 5 lakh. If the erring schools repeat the offence they will have to pay up to Rs10 lakh or face imprisonment up to three years according to the provisions,” he said.
