Punjab government bars private schools from increasing fee

CHANDIGARH: Days before the next academic session begins, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday directed all private schools against increasing fees or compelling children to buy books, uniforms or stationery items from select shops. Mann said parents want to provide education to their children but it has become costly, making it unaffordable.

"Today, I am going to announce two big decisions which our government has taken related to the education sector," said Mann before making the announcements in a video message. "No private school in Punjab will hike fee in this semester when new admissions take place," Mann said. He said no private school in the state will compel children or their parents to purchase books, uniform and stationery items from a particular shop. He said the private schools will have to provide children and their parents with addresses of all shops selling stationery items, books and the uniform.

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"It is up to parents from where they want to purchase these items for their children," Mann said. He said the decisions will come into force with immediate effect. A detailed policy in this regard will be issued soon, he said.

Earlier on March 19, Mann threw open 25,000 jobs in various state government departments, including 10,000 in the Police Department. On March 28, Mann announced the rollout of the doorstep ration delivery scheme, saying the poor will no longer need to stand in queues as good quality rations will be delivered to their doorstep.

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However, the scheme will be optional for the eligible beneficiaries, Mann had said. In last month's Punjab Assembly polls, AAP stormed to power, decimating the Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party combine and the BJP-Punjab Lok Congress-SAD (Sanyukt) alliance. The Congress, which was in power in the state, got 18 seats in the 117-member assembly, while the AAP won 92 seats.