Two months salary unpaid - M’lore,B’lore aided college teachers/staff

Two months salary unpaid - M’lore,B’lore aided college teachers/staff

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, July 4, 2014:  Delay in the payment of monthly salary to teaching and non-teaching staff of aided colleges  by  the Govt. has put the college employees in a void. Salary of March was paid late in May, while the salary of May and June is as yet pending for two months.

The college employees allege the State government has unilaterally delayed the release of salaries,  claiming that the department of collegiate education is withholding the salary in connection with ’notional increment’. The cause of the problem is said to be a stand off between the government and the aided colleges over implementing the Karnataka Private Aided Educational Institutions Employees (Regulation of pay, Pension, and other Benefits) Act, 2014.

Association of Mangalore University College Teachers (AMUCT) President Norbert Lobo told the media that It is the idea of the Department of Collegiate Education to make staff of aided colleges the 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 Education 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 those colleges who have not submit the information by 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,”

The delay in the payment of salary has been affecting non-teaching staff more 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.

“Our attempt to get clarification from the department too has been futile as the officials do not respond,” he alleged. Department of Collegiate Education Director Bhagyalakshmi, says  the slight delay in the payment was due to the delay in the amount being released from the finance department. 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,” states the director.