Ramjas teachers' body to intensify stir

Ramjas College’s staff association has decided to intensify their ongoing protest, following no response from the administration.

The association members, who have been protesting for the last 10 days, are demanding the college to pay the two-month pending salaries of 60 teachers, increase the number of staff quarters and rationally apply provident fund rules as per the university guidelines.

“The salaries for June and July have yet not been given to ad hoc teachers who cannot even complain. The administration is totally insensitive and such an act is inhuman. We will have a general body meeting soon and decide the plan of action to intensify the struggle,” said S K Jha, staff association president.

However, Ramjas principal Rajendra Prasad said the salaries were paid to the teachers on Thursday and there was a procedural delay in their payment.

“The quarterly grant is yet to come, however, I managed money for the salaries of teachers,” said Prasad.

The association members said whatever might be the reason behind the grants coming late, “it is the responsibility of the administration to pay the teachers on time.”

Teachers said Union government rules are not being applied in allotment of staff quarters with respect to the disbursement of House Rent Allowance (HRA) and Reservation Policy.
“There are only six staff quarters available for more than 200 teachers. Therefore, more staff quarters should be constructed at the earliest,” Jha said.

“The college collects lakhs of rupees every year from the students for infrastructure development and receives grants in crores from the University Grants Commission, but not a single brick has been added to the existing infrastructure in the last five years even after increase in the strength of students due to Other Backward Classes (OBC) expansion,” he added.

Prasad said the funds and grants given for OBC expansion and development fee taken from the students are with the college.

“Of course, they should be provided with more quarters. I have told them that we should work out a plan for that, but this is not the way to go about things. Procedures for construction take a lot of time. College has already faced two inquiries, I am trying to be careful,” he said.

He also added that a balancesheet of the funds invested as fixed deposit return (FDR) has been given to the teachers’ representative.

“There was a Comptroller and Auditor General audit recently which said that the accounts are in order. Each and every rupee is reflected in the balancesheet,” principal said.