'Punjabi University overstepping salary limits for reemployed teachers'

The Punjabi University administration has been accused of paying more salary than is allowed to teachers that it reemployed after their retirement.

The Punjabi University administration has been accused of paying more salary than is allowed to teachers that it reemployed after their retirement.The deputy controller local audit (DCLA) posted at the varsity campus has written to the authorities saying such employees are being paid house rent allowance (HRA) which was against the prescribed norms.

"As per Punjab government rules, the reemployed employees can't be given HRA or any other allowance," said the DCLA, Kartar Singh Rathour.

"With present pay fixation, the university is paying an extra amount of Rs 14,000-18,000 to more than 20 teachers every month since June last year," he added.

The DCLA has also asked the university authorities to fix the salary structure of such teachers and seek a clarification from the government on the issue. It has warned that the audit department may otherwise start a process for recovering the "extra HRA" paid to the teachers.The university authorities have, however, maintained that they are paying the reemployed staff according to the decisions of the varsity syndicate.

Punjabi University registrar, Devinder Singh, said the difference of opinion over pay fixation with the audit department will be sorted out soon.

"We are giving salaries to reemployed teachers according to syndicate decision, but the audit asked us to pay them as per government rules, which is fixing pay as per extension in service rules," he said. The audit department has also raised objections over house accommodation provided to such teachers in university campus.

Earlier, a university professor would generally get a three-year extension after retiring at the age of 60.

However, the syndicate of the University in 2013 approved two more years and thus faculty members can now work till the age of 65 years.

This reemployment scheme has drawn flak from research scholars and faculty members as some of the reemployed staffers have been given top administrative posts and even made heads of various departments.

A meeting at the vice-chancellor's office last week saw heated arguments between a senior professor, who was reemployed in June last year, and the DCLA.