DC Orders Penalty After Inquiry Confirms Overcharging
Nawanshahr Deputy Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh has directed the District Education Department to impose a penalty on the government's flagship School of Eminence in Nawanshahr. The action follows an inquiry that found a Class XI student had been charged Rs 5,000 as admission fee, while the prescribed annual fee for government schools is Rs 876. The specific amount of the penalty has not yet been determined.
Complaint Filed by Parent Leads to Inquiry
The case originated from a complaint submitted in April by Sanjiv Bhalla, a resident of Saroya village. Bhalla alleged that his daughter, Tanu Bhalla, who had qualified the entrance test for admission to Class XI at the School of Eminence, was asked to deposit Rs 5,000 at the time of admission. Upon learning that the annual fee in government schools was only Rs 876, he requested a receipt and clarification regarding the amount charged.
According to the complaint, the school subsequently refunded Rs 4,000, cancelled his daughter's admission, and later transferred the remaining Rs 1,000 to his sister's bank account through UPI. After Bhalla escalated the issue to the Education Minister and senior officials, his daughter's admission was restored. In his complaint, Bhalla sought a high-level inquiry into the alleged overcharging and action against those responsible.
DC's Response and Penalty Directive
Deputy Commissioner Aulakh stated that he had sought a report from district education authorities after receiving the complaint. "The inquiry report found that the student had been overcharged. Accordingly, I directed the district Education Department to impose a penalty on the school for charging fee beyond the prescribed amount. So far, I have received only one complaint in the matter," Aulakh said.
Principal's Defense: Fee Approved by Committee
Responding to the allegations, School of Eminence Principal Sarabjit Singh said he had not received any notice. He claimed that the Rs 5,000 fee was approved by the School Management Committee and was not his personal decision. "The amount was collected to meet the expenditure incurred on providing additional facilities and services to students," Singh explained.
He elaborated on the school's financial challenges: "There is a shortage of teachers in the school, so we have engaged additional teachers on our own. Similarly, against the sanctioned requirement of seven cleaners, we have only one, forcing us to hire additional staff at the school's expense. The funds collected are utilised to provide better facilities to students. We have been providing opportunities for participation in the National Science Seminar, the International Mathematics Olympiad and other academic and co-curricular activities, all of which involve additional expenditure."
Impact and Next Steps
The District Education Department is now expected to determine the penalty amount and take further action. The case highlights the tension between government schools' prescribed fee structures and the actual costs incurred for providing enhanced facilities. While the DC has ordered action, the school maintains that the fee was authorized by its management committee and used for legitimate purposes.
