The Delhi University has urged the city government to release grant-in-aid for payment of pending salaries to 12 colleges fully funded by it. Dean of Colleges Balaram Pani on Tuesday wrote a letter to Education minister Manish Sisodia and the Department of Higher Education of the Delhi government, saying that the dues of the staffers of these colleges have not been cleared and are facing problems due to the pandemic.

The letter read, “It came to our notice from various sources that the salaries for the teaching and non-teaching staff of the colleges under the University of Delhi that are 100 per cent funded by the Government of NCT have not been released for the past four months.”

It also said, “The staff members of the concerned colleges are put to unfathomable hardship in the absence of their monthly salaries. The staff members and their families are facing distress during the present pandemic situation.”

The dean requested Sisodia to issue necessary directions to the officers concerned to release the required grant-in-aid to the respective colleges on top priority as the basic survival of staff members is at risk. 

The Delhi government had released Rs 18.75 crore as grant-in-aid for payment of salaries to employees of 12 University of Delhi (DU) colleges funded by it in June, which was called insufficient.

Prior to that, the government had also sanctioned grant-in-aid in May, which was also called inadequate. DU and the Delhi government have been locked in a tussle over the formation of governing bodies in 28 colleges, partially or fully funded by the city government, with both accusing the other of delaying the process.

Source: PTI

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