The teachers of the government-aided intermediate college, where the state human resource development (HRD) minister Jagarnath Mahto applied for admission in class-11 on Monday, are allegedly unpaid for past four months, even though the minister, who is also the chairman of the governing body of the college, claimed that grant for the college has been approved a week back.
A section of the teachers of Devi Mahto Memorial Intermediate College (DMMIC), Nawadih in Bokaro district, which suddenly hit the news on Monday after state education minister applied for admission, have alleged that they have not received their payment since April.
A teacher of the college, who requested anonymity, said, “We remained deprived of payment even during peak months of Corona pandemic.”
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The DMMIC is having around 16 teachers, who impart education to about 850 students in 17-room infrastructure.
General secretary of Inter College Karmachari Mahasangh (ICKM) Raghunath Singh said the government had released the grant to the college in March but it needs approval from the college’s governing body before distribution it to the teaching and non-teaching staff. “Due to the lockdown and Covid protocols, the governing body meeting could not take place, which delayed the payment to the teachers,” he said.
Singh said, “This is not the single case. The delay in payment to the teachers of government aided colleges is a common phenomenon in Jharkhand. The payment is delayed either due to late release of grant by the government or non-holding of governing body of the colleges in time. Therefore, we have been demanding from the government to provide payment directly to the bank of accounts of teachers instead of giving it to colleges.”
{{/usCountry}}Singh said, “This is not the single case. The delay in payment to the teachers of government aided colleges is a common phenomenon in Jharkhand. The payment is delayed either due to late release of grant by the government or non-holding of governing body of the colleges in time. Therefore, we have been demanding from the government to provide payment directly to the bank of accounts of teachers instead of giving it to colleges.”
{{/usCountry}}He said there are 170 government affiliated inter colleges in Jharkhand, which run of government grants. State government releases estimated ₹50 crore annually as grants to these colleges, while colleges generate around ₹25 crore from their own sources like admission and other fees, he said.
When the principal of the DMMIC was contacted, Dinesh Prasad said, “College was shut for past three months due to lockdown for Covid-19. Besides, the college campus was made quarantine centre for the migrant workers. The administration has handed over the college around a fortnight back. So, the payment got delayed.”
He said, “We have received the government aid and admission has also started. So, everything will be in place very soon.”
The HRD minister, who claimed to have established the college in 2006 on a donated land when was legislator from the area, said, “I have approved the grant a week back. Now, it is upto the college administration when and how it distributes the salaries to the teachers.”
The minister is also chairman of the governing body of the college, which got temporary affiliation in 2008 and permanent affiliation from the Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) in 2012.