Cuttack, April 30: Orissa High Court today stayed the notices issued by the DAV schools of the twin cities on hike in school fees with effect from April.

The bench of Justice B.R. Sarangi issued the interim stay order considering the Supreme Court order on April 16, 2014, that allowed revision in school fees only as per recommendations of the fee structure committee, and not with retrospective effect.

The interim order is a breather for about 30,000 students at eight DAV schools in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

The parents’ associations of all the eight DAV schools had filed the petitions. Their common allegation was that the school management had imposed fee hikes that were around 25 per cent in excess of the recommendations made by the fee structure committee.

The Supreme Court had allowed the management authorities of DAV schools in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar “to revise their fee structure with immediate effect as per recommendations of the fee structure committee”.

“It was pointed out that increase in fees, as recommended by the committee, ranges only from 46 per cent to 119 per cent for different schools over and above the present unrevised fee structure. The petitioners had alleged that the school management had misinterpreted the Supreme Court ruling and imposed fee hike with retrospective effect.

Taking note of it, Justice Sarangi issued the interim order which said: “No fee hike shall be made until further orders.”