Teachers’ body calls for ‘DU shutdown’ over pending salaries in govt-funded colleges

The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) on Tuesday gave a call for a university-wide shutdown beginning Thursday, to protest against the pending salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff of 12 DU colleges that are fully funded by the Delhi government

The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) on Tuesday gave a call for a university-wide shutdown beginning Thursday, to protest against the pending salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff of 12 DU colleges that are fully funded by the Delhi government. The salaries have been delayed as the government is yet to disburse grants to these colleges.

HT Image

Along with the shutdown, the teachers’ association has also given a call for a teachers’ rally from the university to the chief minister’s residence on March 15 and another march to the lieutenant-governor’s office on March 18.

The decisions were taken by DUTA at an emergent meeting held on Tuesday, after receiving representations from the staff associations of government-funded colleges.

Teachers of the 12 colleges had threatened a “complete shutdown of Delhi University” and said they would take to the roads in protest if their salaries, pending for the past three to four months, are not disbursed without further delay.

Despite repeated attempts, Delhi government spokespersons did not comment on the matter on Tuesday. Earlier, a spokesperson had said, “All funds have been released by the Delhi government as per the rules.”

“In many units, employees have not received salaries for over six months now. Employees have also not received other dues,” DUTA president Rajib Ray said. The association will also hold a meeting with teachers of the College of Arts, which was recently de-affiliated from DU and merged with Ambedkar University.

Ray also said that they would also send representations to the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, L-G Anil baijal, vice-chancellor, principals and chairpersons of the 12 DU colleges on the matter and hold meetings with staff and student associations in the coming days to decide the future course of action.