Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 13: High Court today sought reply from the Government to the plea seeking implementation of The Right to Education Act in Jammu and Kashmir in letter and spirit and for no tuition fee, bus fare by the educational institutions for the period August, 2019 till the resumption of the normal schooling.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi said that despite time was granted to file the response but till date no response has been filed. “Asifa Padroo, AAG is present today. She seeks a months’ further time for filing a response. She may do so within a period of one month”, reads the order.
The PIL filed by advocate Sheikh Umar Farooq submits that the Government should implement the Right to Education Act in letter and spirit in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
It is urged in the PIL that due to the unprecedented situation in Jammu and Kashmir post July 2019, private schools remained non-functional due to one reason or another. Most of the schools in J&K have started pressurizing parents to pay full monthly payments, including tuition fees, bus fee and other incidental charges.
“Despite the fact that none of the facilities have been utilised by school children, the parents are being told to pay the tuition fee. This despite the fact that their children have not taught by teachers during the period these remained closed,” the PIL states, praying that the court direct the respondents, including the Chief Secretary, UT of J&K, Commissioner Secretary, Education Department, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir and the Director, School Education, Kashmir, to ensure that no tuition fee, bus fee or any other incidental fee is charged from the students by any educational institutions in J&K from August 2019 onwards till normal class work resumes.
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