Members of the executive council of DU on Saturday wrote to the State units of AAP, BJP and Congress, raising concerns over non-payment of salaries to staffers of about 12 colleges funded by the Delhi government.
Thousands of teachers and employees have not received salaries for more than three-and-a-half months as funds to these colleges had not been released, the letter said. It requested meetings to be held with party members along with EC members and office-bearers of the DU Teachers’ Association. The teachers’ union has been regularly raising the issue, sending petitions to the government as well as holding demonstrations demanding the release of funds.
Education Minister Manish Sisodia, however, recently hit out at the complaints of non-release of funds alleging corruption in the use of funds at these colleges. He argued that over the last five years, funds to these institutions had increase by about 70%.
DU, in a recent statement, however, said it took strong exception to “sweeping allegations”. Dean of Colleges, Balaram Pani, said that accounts of the colleges were reviewed by three audits under internal and external agencies of the university, Delhi government and the Centre. Regarding increase in funds, Mr. Pani listed out various expenses under the salary head, such as implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission, increase in wages paid by contractual staff as directed by the Delhi government, salaries of ad hoc teachers, annual increment and others, leading to an increase of about 80% to 100%. Apart from this, he said, an increase of about 300%-400% in expenditure came from various non-salary-related heads, such as changes in buildings, maintenance costs, expansion on account of enrolling EWS students.
Mr. Pani called upon the government to release the funds due to these colleges, arguing that the release was not tied to the formation of the governing bodies of these institutions.
