Last Updated on November 1, 2021 at 10:44 am
In the private schools of Jammu and Kashmir, the talks and discussions about the transport fee seems to be never ending.
The dispute is persisting between parents, schools and obviously the government regarding charging of transport fee from school children.
The school education department on the recommendations of the Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee (FFRC) last year instructed for the private schools not to charge the transport fee from the school children during the covid19 lockdown period.
Since in the pandemic lockdown schools remained closed and buses were confined to sheds in school premises. The government ordered that the decision regarding collecting transport fees from students will be announced further.
The decision was taken keeping in mind parent’s side but it was opposed from the private schools who claimed that they have to pay salary to the bus drivers and conductors as well maintain the buses.
But it has been more than a year; school education department has failed to clear the issue and kept on delaying the matter.
Earlier, documents were demanded by FFRC from the private schools related to school buses of their institutions but institutions crossed the deadline.
An official said that the schools were asked to submit the documents of their school transport to know the loan details which the schools have taken from Banks as well as to know about the cost of the maintenance incurred by the schools but majority of the schools are yet to submit the complete documents.
The administrative officer of FFRC said that the schools have been asked not to charge the transport fee from the students. He further added that schools were asked to submit the details of transport facilities but majority of the schools have not submitted the documents which delayed the matter.
“Only presentation convent higher secondary school has submitted all the requisite documents and the committee have resolved their issue regarding collection of transport fee,” an official in FFRC said.
He said that the management Tyndale Biscoe and Mallinson Higher Secondary school have stopped charging transport fee from the students for the Covid-19 lockdown period.
The issue of charging of transport fee continues as the government orders or any circular issued regarding the matter remains only on papers and ground reality is different.
Principal Secretary School Education Department, Bishwajit Kumar Singh said that final decision cannot be announced on collection of fee by private schools until the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted from the schools.
