Schools in Maharashtra's Thane district have been warned against demanding fees during the COVID-19 lockdown, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Errant institutions, who collect fees despite the warning, will lose the Maharashtra government's recognition, she added.

In a strongly worded message to both aided and unaided schools, district education officer Sangeeta Bhagwat said the education department had received several complaints from parents that some schools in the district were demanding school fees immediately.

Amid the lockdown, during which people have been unable to report for work, affecting their incomes, demanding school fees from parents is unjustified, she said.

She also warned that if any school, aided or unaided, demands fees and if parents lodge any more complaints, then the errant school will lose its recognition from the state government.

Bhagwat further said that till normalcy is restored, schools should not demand fees from students.