In a move that will bring some relief to nearly 600 lecturers, the Department of Collegiate Education (DCE) has “temporarily withheld” the order asking them to repay the arrears they had received.
The DCE had asked lecturers appointed after 2006 to repay the arrears that ranged from ₹40,000 to ₹1.5 lakh after the University Grants Commission said those who had joined after January 2006 were not eligible for it. They were first asked to pay up the full amount, but were later told the amount could be repaid in three instalments.
Sources in the Higher Education Department said the file had been sent to the Finance Department with a proposal to waive over ₹80 crore, easing the burden on lecturers who were affected by the order.
“We are aware that the lecturers may not be able to pay back this amount and hence we initiated this move. Once the proposal is approved by the Finance Department, we will announce it to the lecturers,” a source in the department said.
H. Prakash, president, Karnataka Government College Teachers’ Association, said there was a need for the State government to arrive at a permanent solution and ensure that the recovery move is scrapped.
