The Delhi government introduced the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill on Monday. It aims to regulate private school fee increases in the capital.
The next day, the Assembly saw strong arguments over the bill. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders demanded that the House send the bill to a select committee for a detailed review.
Education Minister Backs the Bill
Education Minister Ashish Sood defended the move. He said the bill aims to “establish a robust institutional mechanism to ensure transparency and accountability in the regulation of school fees.”
Ashish Sood stressed that “the proposed framework involves participation from all stakeholders — parents, teachers, and school management.” He also added, “The government is open to discussions on the provisions.”
BJP Praises the Bill as a Parent-Friendly Reform
Meanwhile, BJP MLA Satish Upadhyay supported the bill strongly. He said, “The previous government was more focused on advertisements while parents were being fleeced through various charges.”
Calling the bill a necessary reform, he added, “This bill will bring real change.” He also noted, “It gives parents representation in fee regulation committees — they will no longer be silent spectators.”
AAP Raises Concerns Over Parents' Rights
On the other hand, AAP’s leader of opposition Atishi criticized the bill sharply. She claimed the bill is a “legal cover” for school fee hikes. According to her, “We’ve proposed amendments based on parent feedback. These will be put to vote tomorrow.”
Furthermore, AAP MLA Prem Chauhan from Deoli echoed this concern. He warned that the bill gives fee-setting power to school committees but skips financial audits.
Prem Chauhan pointed out, “Even filing a complaint requires support from 15% of parents, which is an unfair hurdle.” He added, “Parents won’t have majority representation in fee committees. Complaints will get stuck in the process.” He concluded, “We demand the bill be referred to a select committee.”
AAP members also urged the House to immediately freeze school fee hikes.
Voting Scheduled After Amendments
Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta responded by confirming that all proposed amendments would be presented on Wednesday. He added that the House will vote on the bill after that.
Assembly Discusses Other Local Issues
Besides the fee bill, MLAs raised several local concerns. Atishi accused the BJP of breaking promises made to slum dwellers. She claimed the party was responsible for recent demolitions and misled the public.
Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht raised the issue of the damaged hospital in Shiv Vihar, Mustafabad. He said, “A new hospital must be built. The area has a population of over 5 lakh.” The Health Minister assured the House that the issue would be addressed.
Additionally, MLAs spoke about waterlogging in Kirari, stray dog management, and pension delays for DTC workers. The House postponed the scheduled discussion on CAG reports to Wednesday.