TED NewsDesk, New Delhi: Delhi government issued Rs. 32.1 crore for the salaries of staffs. On September 24, the government released the fund to colleges under Delhi University. These DU colleges are State government-aided institutions. The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) claimed the amount to be insufficient.
The state granted Rs. 4 crores to Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Rs. 4.50 crore to Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, Rs. 4.65 crore to Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Sciences for Women, Rs. 5.80 crore to Maharaja Agrasen College. Bhim Rao Ambedkar College received Rs. 6.35 crore while Acharya Narendra Dev College received Rs. 6.80 crore.
Earlier this year, a disagreement over the release of funds surfaced between the AAP government and the 12 colleges that it funds. The colleges claimed the released fund as inadequate. They informed that the wages of staffs are due since May, given the lack of funds. The DUTA alleged that the amounts are insufficient to bear the overall expenses of the institutions.
“Yet we hope that the Delhi government will at least transfer these funds to the colleges immediately. Unfortunately, the other six colleges still await the sanction,” the association said.
It added, “All teachers of the Delhi University stand with their colleagues of these 12 colleges. We must remind the Delhi government that these divisive policies will not work with us,”
As revealed by a university functionary (anonymous due to privacy concerns), 12 colleges have set up a committee with a chairman. The functioning bodies in six colleges out of these 12 have government officials as their chairmen. These six colleges received the grant-in-aid. The rest of the colleges have governing bodies with varsity appointee as their head.
Talking about the grant, Dr Payal Mago, principal of Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Sciences for Women, said, “We will be able to pay the salaries of June, July and August.”
The colleges are waiting for the students to pay their fees to complement the wages of the unpaid staffs. The students are likely to pay the fees in September, she added.
Dr Ravi Toteja, principal of Acharya Narendra Dev College, said, “We have come to know about the release of grants through note sheets circulating on social media, but we are yet to get an official confirmation on it.”
COVID-19 pandemic has hugely affected the livelihood of people in the country and worldwide. The nation’s economy has also become a victim of the virus. Therefore, the state authorities need to ensure that these staffs, the pillars of education, get their salaries on time.
