(1) The powers and functions of the Divisional Fee Regulatory Committee shall be to adjudicate the dispute between the school management and the Parent-Teachers Association regarding fee to be charged by the school management from the students.
(2) The Divisional Fee Regulatory Committee may authorise any officer not below the rank of the Education Officer or the Education Inspector to enter any educational institute or any premises belonging to the management of such school, if the Divisional Fee Regulatory Committee finds so necessary, and search, inspect and seize any records, accounts, registers or other documents belonging to such school or the management in so far as such records, accounts, registers or other documents are necessary and relevant to decide the issues before the said Committee. The provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) relating to search and seizures shall apply, so far as may be, to searches and seizures under this section.
(3) The Divisional Fee Regulatory Committee shall regulate its own procedure, for the discharge of its functions, and shall, for the purpose of making any inquiry under this Act, have all powers of a civil court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908) while trying a suit, in respect of the following matters, namely :-
(i) the summoning and enforcing the attendance of any witness and examining him on oath ;
(ii) the discovery and production of any document ;
(iii) the reception of evidence on affidavits ;
(iv) the issue of commission for the examination of the witness.
(4) No judicial order shall be passed by the Divisional Fee Regulatory Committee in the absence of the Chairperson. The order of the Divisional Fee Regulatory Committee shall be binding on the parties to the proceedings before it for two academic years. It shall not be called in question in any civil court except by way of an appeal before the Revision Committee constituted under this Act.
(5) At the time of resolving the dispute, the Divisional Fee Regulatory Committee shall not grant any interim stay to the fee determined by the school management. On decision in appeal or reference, the Divisional Fee Regulatory Committee may pass appropriate orders for refund of the excess fee to the student concerned. In case the management fails to refund the excess fee to such student, the Divisional Fee Regulatory Committee shall proceed to recover such excess fee from the management as an arrears of land revenue and pay the same to such student.
(6) The Divisional Fee Regulatory Committee shall on determining the fee leviable by a private school, communicate its decision to the parties concerned.
(7) The Divisional Fee Regulatory Committee shall indicate the different heads under which the fee shall be levied.
(8) The orders passed by the Divisional Fee Regulatory Committee shall be binding on the private school for two academic years. At the end of the said period, the private school shall be at liberty to propose changes in its fee structure by following the procedure as laid down under this Act.