Siliguri, 05th January: The Siliguri office of the District Inspector (DI) witnessed a protest on Monday as members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) staged a demonstration against illegal collection of fees in government schools.
According to the SFI, while the state government has fixed the school fee at Rs 240, some schools are reportedly charging between Rs 400 to Rs 600 per student. The protestors demanded answers from the authorities on why these extra charges are being collected.
The demonstration led to tensions at the DI office, which were later brought under control by the police.
Ankit Dey, SFI Darjeeling district secretary, alleged that unauthorized fee collection has become widespread across the state, even in government schools. He claimed the practice is linked to upcoming elections, with schools collecting extra money to fund political activities. Dey demanded an immediate halt to such practices and warned that failure to do so could lead to larger protests in the future.