While the State government’s salary challenge has evoked a mixed response among government employees, over 82% teachers of aided colleges in the State have shunned the donation drive, drawing the ire of the Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel, who called them “heartless”.
Dr. Jaleel, who expressed his displeasure on Facebook, lambasted aided college teachers for their alleged reluctance in contributing at least their three-days’ salaries in 10 instalments towards the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF), despite being among the highest paid in the State. While most earned between ₹75,000 and ₹1.5 lakh, there were some who earned even more, he pointed out.
He said that the unwillingness shown by the college teachers was unjustifiable, considering the humanitarian stance adopted by various sections including the Governor, government employees, other workers, volunteers, traders, non-resident Keralites, and even several children, chipping in with their contributions towards the relief fund.
There were also many from the financially-disadvantaged sections who made contributions, notwithstanding their limitations. These included differently abled people, widows, senior citizens and daily wage labourers who contributed their social welfare pensions to assist the State to tide over the unprecedented crisis, he said.
While various sections of the public had contributed around ₹1800 crore as of yet, government employees had contributed an equivalent amount. Most of the college teachers in the government sector had also become part of the salary challenge.
Politically-motivated
Even while questioning whether the reluctance among the aided college teachers was politically-motivated, Dr. Jaleel pointed out that all United Democratic Front (UDF) MLAs, led by the Leader of Opposition, had contributed their one month’s salary of approximately ₹60,000.
Calling the accusations unfair, the Congress-oriented Kerala Private College Teachers’ Association (KPCTA) general secretary and president in-charge U. Abdul Kalam said that the organisation strongly opposed the government’s stance which facilitated forced collection of contributions.
“The government cannot raise any claims on any employee’s salary. However, the KPCTA is willing to call upon its members to contribute one or even two months’ salary, provided they were able to do it on their own terms,” he said.
Maintaining that the stance was not politically-motivated, Dr. Kalam said that the organisation would have adopted a similar stance even if a United Democratic Front (UDF) had pursued a similar stance.
The Left-leaning All Kerala Private College Teachers’ Association (AKPCTA) attributed the low number of contributions to various technical hurdles pertaining to leave surrender and PF loan.
“While all of our 1800-odd members have formally expressed consent to contribute, only around 70% have been able to donate from their monthly salaries. The remaining were awaiting steps to resolve the lapses on the part of many college managements in ensuring the encashment of our earned leave. Nevertheless, the contributions that were pledged by our members would be credited to the relief fund account within two months,” AKPCTA general secretary P.N. Harikumar said.
