Campus managers and guards in a fix due to delayed salaries

The school authorities in the district also claimed that only in the month of September last year the education department has directed to deploy the gatekeepers, for a salary of ₹5,000, on the recommendation of Panchayat, but has not paid them from the beginning of this year

Due to the salaries of the campus managers, watchmen and security guards, not being credited for straight three months since January this year, the authorities of the senior secondary government schools have been paying the workers either out of the amalgamated funds or their own pockets.

The campus managers and guards were recruited after multiple schools fell prey to burglars, with thieves decamping with equipment worth several lakhs in the absence of watchmen and other security measures.

A government school principal said, “The security guards and campus managers provided to the schools, receive their salaries from Punjab Ex-Servicemen Corporation (PESCO), which has a tie-up with the government. But the salaries of the gatekeepers have to be provided directly by the government and in case it fails to do so, we have to pay them out of the amalgamated fund, for which the School Management Committee (SMC) needs to pass a resolution seeking a loan.”

The school authorities in the district also claimed that only in the month of September last year the education department has directed to deploy the gatekeepers, for a salary of ₹5,000, on the recommendation of Panchayat, but has not paid them from the beginning of this year.

Another principal remarked, “PESCO is required to pay ₹15,000 to the campus manager every month but has failed to do so since December. We have been paying our workers either out of the welfare fund or out of our own pockets.” The official added that workers in a few schools have left due to their salaries not being credited.

Questioning the delay, a school campus manager said, “What are we working for if we are not paid? We have a family to run and the delay in crediting our salaries leads to an excessive financial burden on us.”

Giving an assurance of paying the workers their due amount, deputy district education officer Jaswinder Singh Virk said, “After the introduction of the new budget, the process of crediting the salaries of these workers has been initiated, the funds for which has already been released. For campus managers and security guards, PESCO needs to send a bill after they are provided with an attendance of the workers. Once we receive it, we would be crediting each of the worker’s salary in their respective.”

The campus managers and guards were recruited after multiple schools fell prey to burglars, with thieves decamping with equipment worth several lakhs in the absence of watchmen and other security measures.