Members of DPS Abhibhavak Manch hold a meeting in Dhanbad on Sunday. Picture by Gautam Dey

Dhanbad, March 6: The parents’ association of Delhi Public School, Dhanbad, DPS Abhibhavak Manch, has decided to file a special leave petition against the single bench judgement of Jharkhand High Court which allows the cradle to increase fees by 45 per cent.

The decision was taken today during a meeting of the parents’ wing at Ram Mandir campus in Jagjivan Nagar.

At the beginning of the March 2009 session, there was an overall hike of about 45 per cent in school fees. Following the hike, the guardians appealed to Jharkhand Education Tribune (JET) which in its interim order in June 2009 directed the school to carry out an increment of 15 per cent. In its final order on March 19, 2010, JET stuck to its decision and allowed the school a hike of 15 per cent.

During the beginning of 2010-11 session, the school administration again increased the fees by 51 per cent, which prompted the parents knock to knock on the doors of JET on June 7, 2010 again.

The court, however, gave a stay on the hike on July 17, 2010 and this brought much-needed relief to the parents.

The DPS administration, however, took up this issue in Jharkhand High Court which in its judgement on March 3, 2011 said that the 45 per cent fee hike for the 2009-10 session was justified.

The members of the parents’ association have decided to discuss the issue with the newly appointed pro vice chairman of the management committee of the school, J.K.S. Sinha. The office bearers of the association also had a telephonic conversation with Sinha during which the latter reportedly sympathised with the concerns of the parents. Charging the school administration, led by principal K.B. Bhargava, of not keeping its promise of not taking up the issue in court, the association’s resolved to appeal against the judgement.

Secretary of the DPS Abhibhavak Manch, M. Karim, said they are confident of getting the stay on the court’s earlier order.