‘Furnish ATR on payment of salary, pension to teachers’

PATNA: Even as the state education department on Wednesday started reviewing annual budgets (2024-25) of the universities with the officials concerned, governor-cum-chancellor, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, has asked the varsities to furnish to the Raj Bhawan the action taken report (ATR) on payment of salaries and pension to the university employees in the light of the orders of Patna High Court passed on May 3 last.
In a letter to the vice-chancellors of all the universities, governor’s principal secretary Robert L Chongthu has stated that the high court had ordered for de-freezing the bank accounts of the universities and payment of salaries, and pension to the retired staff, respectively. Therefore, the universities are directed to furnish an action taken report on the court orders, the letter said.
According to the detailed report submitted to the chancellor’s secretariat by the universities, payment of salaries to the teachers and non-teaching staff has not been made since February in most universities, while the retired staff and teachers have not been paid their pension since January this year. The grants sanctioned for the months of January and February have reportedly been allowed to lapse, and the grants for the current financial year (2024-25) have not been sanctioned as yet, the universities pointed out. Consequently, neither salary nor pension could be paid despite the court orders.
The next hearing of the cases filed by the universities will be held on May 17. Meanwhile, Magadh University has also filed an interlocutory application in the high court against non-release of necessary funds from the state government for payment of salary and pension to the university staff.