E-Paper
Audit body asks Chandigarh education dept to explain advance increments paid to 114 teachers against UGC norms
Education department asked to furnish a reply within three weeks
The director-general of audit has sought clarifications from the Chandigarh education department regarding payment of advance increments to 114 teachers in city colleges, including principal of Post Graduate Government College (PGGC), Sector 11, Rama Arora.
Raising red flags, the audit party has prepared an ‘advance para’ regarding “irregular and inadmissible grant of advance increments in violation of University Grants Commission (UGC) norms” and has asked the department to furnish a reply within three weeks.
It is pertinent to mention that two days after receiving the letter on May 27, director of higher education, Rubinderjit Singh Brar, formed a committee to furnish the reply which interestingly, Arora is a member of.
The audit department noted that Arora was granted three non-compounding advance increments based on her PhD degree in Physics. However, her concerning work was in mathematics in contravention to UGC regulations.
The audit para further said that “Records indicated that she attended the course at Punjabi University, Patiala, from 4pm to 6pm and was simultaneously present in PGGC, Sector 11.”
Further, no documentary evidence regarding process of admission, registration, course work and external evaluation was found on records regarding Arora’s PhD, the audit para cites.
The records further indicate that similar discrepancies were also found in cases of 114 other assistant professors. In fact, show-cause notices were also issued to all of them asking why their PhD increment should not be withdrawn as they do not fulfill any conditions laid down in UGC regulations of 2010. The matter is also pending with ministry of human resource development and UGC for over a year.
The audit department noted that “The financial implications at this stage cannot be ascertained as the payment is incremental and being paid till date.”
However, it is estimated that the overall loss to the exchequer could be around Rs 40 crore.
The audit party has asked the education department to justify the objections raised and quantify the amount paid to Arora and the other assistant professors.
Arun Kumar Gupta, education secretary said he “needs to check” whereas director of school education, Rubinderjit Singh Brar, said, “The report of the committee and reply to show cause notices will be submitted to the audit party.”
Rama Arora refused to entertain any queries. However, on her involvement as a committee member, when she is named in audit para, Brar replied, “She is engaged as a principal of PGGC 11 not as a professor. She would rescue from signing the report.”
