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The district administration has stepped up scrutiny of private schools in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, targeting eight reputed institutions for alleged financial misconduct. The schools were fined Rs 2 lakh each for unauthorized price increases and ordered to return a total of Rs 54 crore to parents.
The action was taken after a thorough investigation under the Madhya Pradesh Private School Fees and Other Subjects Regulation Act, 2017. Tuition fees were raised. The increased fee structure adopted in previous academic sessions was deemed illegal, prompting the latest enforcement measures.
Following an investigation, the government directed all private schools to revert to charging previously agreed fees instead of increasing rates. The government also took decisive action by ordering the owners of the eight private schools involved to deposit a fine of Rs 2 lakh each into the bank account of the Department of Public Education within 30 days.
Investigation revealed that these eight schools collected fees of more than Rs 54 crore from more than 74,000 students. The government has asked that the money be returned to parents.
The government's latest actions are causing serious disruption for private school owners. In early May, Collector Deepak Saxena led a swift response to the arbitrary hike in fees in schools.
During this period, FIRs were lodged against principals and owners of over a dozen schools, leading to their arrests. The schools allegedly formed an organized network in Jabalpur and had squeezed billions of rupees from parents in recent years. Ongoing investigation has revealed that the total amount involved exceeds Rs 200 crore.
