Self-regulatory panel to monitor fees: West Bengal CM

Kolkata: After a health regulatory panel, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday constituted a “self academic regulatory commission” to check the collection of exorbitant fees by several private schools for students’ admission. She also made it clear that the menace of donation collection by various schools has to be end.

Addressing a meeting with the representatives of different schools at Town Hall, Ms Banerjee expressed her anguish over the frequent allegations of irregularities on fees and pulled them one after another.

She said, “We do not want to interfere into the functioning of the private institutions. Our aim is to bring them in a system as there are complaints. There will be a self regulatory commission of ten members by selecting people among them. They will hold meeting time to time and maintain a balance sheet to work with a rational attitude.”

Education minister Partha Chatterjee, state chief secretary Basudeb Banerjee and state DGP Surajit Kar Purkayastha were present at the meeting. The chief minister elaborated, “They have to keep a tab on the misuse of money in the name of donation collection.”

She informed that representatives of many prestigious schools, chief secretary, education secretary, state DGP, Kolkata Police commissioner, two archbishops and an official from Darjeeling will be in the panel which will also have the DPOs of all districts as invitees.

“After one year, I will hold another meeting to review the progress,” she added. Pointing out La Martiniere School, Ms Banerjee asked its official why they collected Rs2.47 lakhs as donation for which a case was even lodged with the police.

She asked Fr Felix Raj, vice chancellor of St Xavier’s University, why Rs 5 lakhs were charged for admission to a course. The chief minister then questioned an official of Shri Shikshayatan School as why a teacher circulated political speeches among the students in the class.