Teachers at 12 Delhi University colleges, which are funded by the Delhi government threatened to go on protest over non-payment of salaries. The teachers allege that they have not received salaries for the three-four months.

On Sunday, March 7.2021, teachers from different colleges also alleged that they have not been paid regular salary since 2019. Nearly 1,200 teachers at these colleges were finding it difficult to make ends meet.

The 12 colleges which are affiliated with the Delhi University and are fully funded by the Delhi government includes Acharya Narendra Dev College, Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, Aditi Mahavidyalaya Women’s College, Bhagini Nivedita College, DeenDayal Upadhyaya College, Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education & Sports Sciences, Maharaja Agrasen College (DU), Maharshi Valmiki College of Education, Shaheed Rajguru College of Sciences for Women and Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies.

During a press conference on Sunday, the teachers also said that not just the salaries but “medical bills, scholarships, telephone and electricity bills also remain unpaid.” Officials at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College (DDU) said they were served a notice by the south civic body last month after it failed to pay its pending property tax dues of ₹3 crore.

Officials at the government-funded colleges alleged that they have not received grants for the fourth quarter that was supposed to be released in November last year due to which they are struggling to pay salaries to their staff since December.

Sujit Kumar, executive member of staff association at Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, said, “Our colleagues say they don’t even have the means to come to college or borrow money. Pension is also not being paid. We have no choice but to hit roads now [to protest] because it is about our survival.”

Meanwhile, a Delhi government spokesperson said, “All funds have been released by the Delhi government as per the rules.”

The 12 fully state-funded colleges in DU have been at the loggerheads with the Delhi government since 2019 over the delay in the release of grants. The Delhi government had last year alleged that a special audit sanctioned by them revealed financial irregularities in these colleges indicating a “big fraud” and “ghost appointments”.

Officials also raised concerns over the possibility of an increased tax slab for their employees next year. Ravi Toteja, principal of Acharya Narendra Dev College, said, “If we don’t pay the staff their salaries by the end of this financial year i.e March 31, it will be counted as income for the next financial year. Their tax slabs for the next financial year will increase. Because of the delay in the release of funds colleges are also not being able to calculate the tax to be levied on salary?”

Source: Hindustan Times

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