The Madras High Court pondered on the thought of how the TN government can expect the private education institutions to pay salaries to their staff if they cannot collect even minimum fees. The HC directed the Tamil Nadu government to respond to the plea filed against the state’s order of April 20 prohibiting collection of fees. 

Justice R Mahadevan said, “It is the policy decision of the TN government that all private education institutions should pay salaries to their teaching and non-teaching staff but if they are prohibited from collecting even minimum fees, how can the government expect them to pay the salaries, especially when most institutions are conducting online classes?”

The high court asked the Tamil Nadu government to respond to the pleas by Federations of Association of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu and All India Private Educational Institutions Association and Consortium of Self Financing Professions Arts and Science Colleges in Tamil Nadu by June 30.

Earlier, representing the petitioners, senior counsel KM Vijayan had argued how can these institutions whose only source of income is academic fees, pay salaries to their staff as the TN government had issued an order on April 20 restraining all private schools and colleges in the state demanding fee citing the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. However, at the same time, it had instructed to pay salaries to their staff. He further added that only Tamil Nadu government has still imposed such a prohibition while all other states have allowed institutions to collect fees.

Source: Times of India

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