Delhi’s DDU College unable to pay salaries for May, DUTA writes to V-C

The DU Teachers’ Association (DUTA) president A K Bhagi, along with a delegation, supported the dharna held by the Staff Association and also wrote to the vice-chancellor about the issue. “Your kind attention is once again drawn to a most pressing problem faced by teaching staff, non-teaching employees, contractual workers etc. involved in different services of 12 colleges of University of Delhi Colleges funded by Govt. of NCT of Delhi. Most of these colleges are short of funds to pay salaries and other dues to the teachers and employees due to non-release of funds by Delhi government,” he wrote.

“It is becoming a new normal for the government of NCT of Delhi to cut and delay the grants to 12 DU colleges funded by it, on a regular basis, resulting in irregular/delayed payment of salaries and other due payments like medical bills reimbursement, children education allowance, arrears on account of 7th pay revision and promotions, LTC etc,” the letter said.

“Employees have been made to suffer for no fault of them because of the insufficient release of funds due to illogical fund cuts imposed by Delhi government in the financial years 2020-21, 2021-22 and now in 2022-23. Fund cut has also negatively impacted the general maintenance and growth of these colleges,” it went on to add. Bhagi said DDU was the “worst hit” of the lot and that most colleges were facing a financial deficit of “Rs 3 crore to 20 crore”.

“Earlier, the deputy CM got special audits done in these colleges through a private firm, whereas there are three kinds of audits (namely statutory, LFA, and AGCR, through government agencies) done on a regular basis in these colleges, but found nothing. Still, the government of NCT, Delhi is reluctant to release adequate funds to these colleges on time,” he said.

“The grant-cut to these colleges have also created hindrance and trouble to the enrolled students as well as those seeking admission in future for the want of required manpower of teaching, non-teaching staff,” he said.

DUTA has demanded that a special meeting of the Executive Council be convened. “Delhi government nominees of 28 Delhi govt funded/maintained colleges should be withdrawn from the Governing Bodies with immediate effect, as these GBs couldn’t fulfil its duty to pay salaries on time to the employees, and the University should consider the takeover of 12 Delhi government-funded colleges,” he said.