Aided-college staff waiting for salary since two months

The government delaying the payment of monthly salary to teaching and non-teaching staff of aided colleges has put the college employees in a fix.

The salary of March was paid only in May, while the salary of May and June has been delayed for two months and not yet credited.

The college employees allege the State government of delaying the release of salary for no mistake of theirs and claim that the department of collegiate education is purposefully withholding their salary in connection to the issue of notional increment.

The root cause for the impeding problem is said to be the tiff between the government and the staff of aided colleges over implementing the Karnataka Private Aided Educational Institutions Employees (Regulation of pay, Pension, and other Benefits) Act, 2014.

Speaking to Deccan Herald Association of Mangalore University College Teachers (AMUCT) President Norbert Lobo accused the Department of Collegiate Education of making the staff of aided colleges scapegoats.

On implementing the Act in February 2014, which regulates the pay, pension and other benefits of the aided college teaching and non-teaching staff who have been given notional increment during their tenure, the Department of Collegiate, issued a circular on May 5, 2014, asking the aided colleges to submit data regarding the number of cases in their college who have got notional increment benefit.

“Though most of the colleges have submitted the required information, the department is trying to pressurise the colleges to submit the information, the department is withholding the salary of all the staff of aided colleges. While, the salary is regularly paid to the colleges in Mysore and Shimoga region, the salary of teachers in Mangalore, Bangalore, Dharwad and Gulbarga region is withheld,” Norbert said.

Buden on staff

The delay in the payment of salary has been affecting non-teaching staff than the teaching staff. Withholding the salary specially when the academic year has begun, has turned out to be a burden on the staff who have several obligations to be met.

The salary of March was paid in the end of May and the same has continued. “Our attempt to get clarification from the department too has gone futile as the officials do not respond,” he alleged.

When Deccan Herald contacted Department of Collegiate Education Director Bhagyalakshmi, she said the slight delay in the payment was due to the delay in the amount being released from the finance department.

The salary of three months has been released at once.

The salary of May has been sent to the joint director’s office who in turn has to transfer it to the respective aided colleges. “Yes, there are issues pertaining to the colleges submitting information on the staff receiving notional increment benefit.

We have withheld the salary of the staff of only those colleges which have failed to submit the information on notional increment,” she said.