Colleges not paying salaries despite reserves, says dy CM

Colleges not paying salaries despite reserves, says dy CM

Student Funds Can’t Be Used For Salaries, Say Principals

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:17.09.2020

A day after teachers of a few Delhi University colleges moved Delhi High Court over non-payment of salaries, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia alleged on Wednesday that the colleges were not paying the teachers despite having funds in the reserve.

Citing initial investigation results of an independent audit conducted by Delhi government, the education minister threatened action and said the university administration was acting as a pawn of BJP.

The colleges, however, said it was wrong to term the student society fund as a reserve fund and it shouldn’t be used to pay teachers. The 12 colleges funded by Delhi government have salary dues.

Sisodia claimed, “It was observed in these reports that colleges have kept a huge amount of money as fixed deposits rather than paying the salaries. Keshav Mahavidyalaya has Rs 10.52 crore as fixed deposits. If they have so much money, why are they not paying salaries to their teachers?”He also said Bhagini Nivedita College had around Rs 2.5 crore in fixed deposits. “It is surprising that they are claiming lack of funds, and at the same time, not cooperating with the auditors also.”

The principals of both these colleges will address a press conference on Thursday.

Sisodia said Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies didn’t even provide their audited balance sheets. “However, it was found that they have around Rs 3.5 crore in their balance sheet in 2018-19 and Rs 10.45 crore in fixed deposits.” Even Deen Dayal Upadhyay College has a reserve of about Rs 6.5 crore and one college even donated Rs 25 lakh, he added.

Sukhdev College principal Poonam Verma said, “These are student funds and the money comes to the college under various heads for various activities. It will be a gross financial irregularity to use them for salary. This money has been collected over 33 years.”

Verma claimed she had records of providing all documents to the auditors and for 2018-19, the college had completed the ELFA and CAG audits. “They are targeting these colleges because the chairperson of the governing body is not their nominee,” she alleged.

DDU principal Hem Chand Jain said, “If anyone has paid that money as loan, they can hang the whole college administration. The reserve is collected from students for ICT infrastructure improvement and student activities. It is not possible to use funds for students to pay salaries. If the government finds it correct, they should tell us that.”

Sisodia also raised the issue of how the funds given to these 12 colleges had almost tripled since 2014-15. “These people are playing with lives of their own staff members. AAP government stands together with the faculty and students of DU. But it seems the DU administration is singing the tunes of BJP and behaving like BJP’s party office. They are only focused on blaming Delhi government,” he said. “Under the pattern of assistance, it is mentioned that provisioning of grant will be made only on net deficit basis.”

Different teachers’ groups condemned the government’s allegations. Delhi University Teachers’ Association said, “It is unfortunate that teachers are caught in the crossfire of these allegations. DUTA believes that the employees must be paid their dues immediately.”

A K Bhagi of NDTF said, “It’s the duty of the government to pay salaries and other allowances and give grants for new infrastructure and maintenance.” INTEC called these allegations a diversion tactics of Delhi government.

It was observed that colleges have kept a huge amount of money as fixed deposits rather than paying the salaries of their staff… It is surprising that they are claiming lack of funds and, at the same time, not cooperating with the auditors

—MANISH SISODIA