Delhi High Court Registry finds no urgency in PIL to waive school fee, refuses to list it for urgent hearing

New Delhi: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking relief to lakhs of parents, who are facing financial crunch due to lockdown and Health Emergency arisen out of COVID-19, was submitted before Delhi High Court on Thursday (April 16), but the Registry refused to list the matter before the court citing no urgency.

Advocate Amit Sahni sought urgent hearing of the matter stating that lakhs of parents are facing financial problems due to lockdown and Health Emergency in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.

The PIL sought Delhi government and Directorate of Education, Delhi, to issue directions to all schools under its jurisdiction not to charge school fees/charges from students for a period from April 2020 till the school become operational. 

The urgency of the matter was mentioned before the Registrar, who did not find it sufficiently urgent to list before the Bench. The Registry of Delhi High Court told the petitioner, “your request for urgent listing has been rejected.”

The PIL also sought directions to schools not to pressurize their students to pay fees/charges etc. It also sought direction to the government to provide sufficient funds to the schools to bear its liabilities viz salary to staff or other expenses in order to strike a balance in the larger public interest.

Further, the plea highlighted that the Haryana government has issued directions to all unaided/private schools not to pressurize its students or parents to deposit fees/charges till school become operational and if any school pressurize its students or parents then strict disciplinary action would be taken against such school. 

The petitioner submitted that the Delhi government has not issued any such directions to schools.