Siliguri, May 14: An English-medium school here today sent notices to the parents, asking them to pay the increased fees by May 20 even as student organisations and political parties continued their protest against the hike.

In the notice, Jermel’s Academy mentioned that the school had around 950 students and used to spend Rs 4,07,722 as salary to staff. With the hike in the payment to the teachers, the expense now stands at Rs 8,15,698. The difference of Rs 4,07,976 has to be borne by the students, said the notice. Each student has to pay Rs 430 extra every month.

“I would like to inform parents that the fee counters at banks have been asked to remain open till May 20. The fee counter at the Hakimpara office is also between 9am and 11am,” reads the notice.

The guardians have expressed resentment over the notice. “We are organising a public meeting at Gandhi Maidan in Khalpara this evening against the fee hike. We will discuss the serving of the notice at the meeting,” said a parent.

Members of the Trinamul Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) took out a protest march this morning and demonstrated in front of the residence of additional district magistrate, Siliguri. The Chhatra Parishad also took out a rally today.

“We feel that the administration is delaying the formation of the proposed committee to solve the issue and is buying time,” said Madan Bhattacharjee, the Darjeeling District TMCP president. “We also suspect an unholy nexus between the school authorities and a section of businessmen who supply uniforms, books and other items to these schools. These groups are trying to suppress the parents’ demands,” he alleged.

“In a most undemocratic way and with an arrogant attitude, the school authorities are trying to take undertakings from parents in support of the revised fee. This highhandedness and arbitrary attitude of school authorities should be curbed immediately,” he said.