Siliguri, January 05 (Siliguri Chronicle) – Members of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) staged a protest at the Siliguri office of the District Inspector (DI) on Monday, alleging illegal collection of additional fees in government schools.
According to SFI leaders, the state government has fixed the annual school fee at ₹240. However, several government schools are allegedly charging students between ₹400 and ₹600. Protesters demanded to know why these extra amounts are being collected despite clear government guidelines.
The demonstration caused brief tension at the DI office, prompting police intervention. The situation was later brought under control.
Ankit Dey, Darjeeling district secretary of SFI, claimed that unauthorised fee collection has become widespread across the state, even in government-run schools. He further alleged that the extra money is being collected in connection with upcoming elections and is being used for political purposes.
Dey called for an immediate stop to the practice and warned that the organisation would launch larger protests if authorities fail to take action.
