School fees: Follow panel or face action

CHENNAI: School Education Minister NR Sivapathy on Tuesday told the State Assembly that stern action will be taken against those schools that charge fee over and above the structure prescribed by the Fee Determination Committee headed by Justice SR Singaravelu.Replying to PMK member A Ganesh Kumar who alleged collection of exorbitant fee by schools, Sivapathy said the MLA should clarify as there are both State-aided and self-financing institutions.“After fee fixation by the Fee Determination Committee, 6,322 schools have been given orders [fee structure] and Rs 73,40,000 collected in excess by six schools has been given back to the parents,” he pointed out.  Stating that Rs 1.36 crore collected in excess by a private school here [from Plus Two students] had also been remitted back to the parents, he assured the member of action if schools collected excess fee.‘Plans in reserve’Referring to the comments of certain members that there was no announcement regarding setting up new arts and medical colleges in the Budget, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said that the previous DMK regime had made a volley of announcements. “We, however, announce only what we can implement. Announcements on new schemes are being reserved so that it can be declared during the demand for grants to respective departments,” she said amid thumping of desks.