Advocate Mohammed Mushtaq Ansari a Human Rights activist has filed a PIL at the Orrisa High Court seeking direction to the state government to pass an order directing private school not to collect Tuition Fees from March 2020 to June 2020 or until the commencement of classes.
The petitioner in its PIL has stated that “since the declaration of the lockdown the people of the state are decreed to stay at home and are facing financial crunch as there earning sources are completely blocked. Not only this there are thousands of families, maybe lakhs who are surviving at the mercy of the state authorities and other non-governmental agencies.”
It has also been submitted by the petition that ‘parens patriae’ is applicable as the State is the guardian of its citizens suffering from the mass disaster, shall take necessary steps to protect the rights and interests of its citizens.
The PIL sought directions for the state government to pass an order for the private aided and un-aided schools to waive the collection of Tuition fees, not to increase any fee during the academic year 2020-21, to take strict action in accordance with law against the managing committee of those who fail to comply with the government’s order. The petition also seeks direction for the government of Orissa to provide sufficient funds to all those schools that will not be able to bear their basic liabilities such as payment of salaries.
-India Legal Bureau