Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 28: As the Government today informed the court that the hike in transportation fee for private schools by the Fee Fixation Committee (FFC) is temporary, High Court has directed the FFC to take final decision and also hear from the Private School Association.
The Division Bench of Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and Justice Mohan Lal closed the plea filed by the Private Schools Association challenging the order of the FFC whereby schools were directed to increase the bus fare of students by 12 percent.
The Association had challenged the Order bearing No. 01-FFRC of 2022 dated 9th of March, 2022 issued by the Committee for Fixation and Regulation of Fee of Private Schools in the Union Territory of J&K as well as Order No. DSEK/GS/54/Misc/2022/2582 dated 14th of March, 2022 issued by the Director, School Education, Kashmir.
Simultaneously, the Petitioner-Association was also seeking a direction in the name of the Committee to determine the ‘Transport Charges’ as per actual rates after hearing the Petitioner-Association.
They had sought instructions from the Government on the issue as the Association Counsel had submitted before the court that the order of FFC had been passed unilaterally without hearing the Association.
These orders were challenged primarily, on the ground that the Committee, while hiking the ‘Transport Charges’ by a meagre 12%, none of the member Schools of the Petitioner-Association were heard.
The counsel appearing on behalf of the Association, had submitted that the Petitioner-Association would feel satisfied in the event the instant Petition is disposed of with a direction to the Committee (FFC) to take final decision in the matter after hearing all members of the Petitioner Association on the subject and pass appropriate orders thereon within some reasonable time frame.
Today, when the matter came up for consideration, the Additional Advocate General informed the Court that the Administrative Officer of the Committee has taken up the matter with the Additional Secretary to the Government of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, School Education Department.
She submitted that the order under challenge is temporary in nature and in this connection the Administrative Officer of the FFC has also apprised the Additional Secretary to the Government that the Committee will pass the final order in the matter after hearing all stakeholders, including the Petitioner-Association.
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