Bhubaneswar: Parents and members of Odisha Abhibhabak Mahasangha Monday protested near Suchana Bhawan demanding waiving of three months’ fee and action against the private school authorities that are violating social distancing norms and selling private books in schools.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had earlier requested private schools to waive of three months’ school fees.
Basudev Bhatt chairman of Odisha Abhibhabak Mahasangha said: “We informed police about the protest and are ready to go to police station if needed. We have given seven days time to authorities to fulfill the demands otherwise we will start mass protesting.”
The Mahasangha had earlier protested from their residences for seven hours seeking school fee waiver for three months amid the ongoing lockdown.
Members of the association had urged the Chief Minister to intervene and issue a directive to all private schools in this regard.
“Private schools should not charge tuition fee, illegal readmission fee and other miscellaneous fees in advance because of the severe hardship and economic loss to the public owing to COVID-19 outbreak,” the association said.
“We have received thousands of complaints from different parts of Odisha regarding illegal fee hike, illegal readmission fee, annual fee, bus charges and pressure to purchase books.” Bhatt said
He went on to add that these hikes violate the rights of parents.
“The private schools’ association is very strong and obliges officials in various ways. All the district level officers are attached to private schools and take liberties as they please. We have been harassed by them for a long time,” Bhatt added.
Aggrieved parents further claimed that they have already written to the CM and School and Mass Education minister Samir Ranjan Dash about the situation without much success.
PNN
