PUNE: The stand-off between parents and management of the Rosary School ended, at least temporarily, on Thursday after both sides agreed to the ad-hoc fee structure prepared by the deputy director of education. Parents, elated with success, ended their hunger strike after a high drama that lasted for more than four hours.

Director of education (secondary) Bhalchandra Desle called a meeting on Thursday morning to resolve the deadlock between parents and management of Rosary School over the school fee hike. Deputy director of education Sunil Magar, 10 representatives of parents and school management headed by V A Aranha participated in the meeting.

The negotiations got political overtones as BJP MLA Madhuri Misal and Shiv Sena MLA Mahadev Babar too joined the meeting. Discussions went on for more than three hours with happy ending for parents.

The school management, albeit reluctantly, accepted the ad-hoc fee hike proposal prepared by the deputy director Magar at the end of the meeting.

Later, speaking to reporters, Desle said, “The fee proposal, acceptable to both the sides, is based on additional expenditure that the school will incur on account of sixth pay salaries to approved teachers. In Warje branch, school was charging Rs 1,367 as monthly fees in the last academic year. It had increased this fee to Rs 1,950 from this year. The fee proposal prepared by the deputy director has cut down the hike to Rs 1,500. It means the school was charging Rs 450 extra than what was required to pay sixth pay commission salaries. Even the school accepted this fact.”

 “Parents know that the present hike is only on account of the sixth pay commission. The school should also keep in mind that it will have to submit fresh fee hike proposal, if any, before the Parents Teachers Association for parents information. It will then go for scrutiny to a committee headed by the deputy director of education,” he added.

The ad-hoc fee structure has reduced fees hike considerably in all Rosary branches. Elated with the success of their relentless campaign, parents celebrated it by bursting crackers in front of the Central Building, where the director’s office is located.

The hunger-strike of four parents was ended amidst thunderous slogans and jubilation. Parents will pay school fees once the deputy director releases final figures for each branch, said Ajay Sathe, president, Rosary School Parents’ Association.