The salaries of professors and staffs of Visva Bharati University in Shantiniketan, West Bengal, have been delayed for the month of June due to a Covid-19 scare. The university authorities issued a notice on July 7 stating that salaries would be released after the central administrative building reopens, which was shut down for sanitisation towards the end of June. 

The notice signed by Asha Mukherjee, acting registrar of Visva Bharati, “I am directed to inform you that as soon as the central administrative building is sanitized, normal activities including the release of salary shall immediately be undertaken.”

The university issued the notice after Sudipta Bhattacharyya; president of the Visva Bharati University Faculty Association lodged a RTI on July 5 over the delay in salary for the month of June.

Two heads of two separate departments said that the administrative building had to be shut down after two employees in the accounts department were detected with fever. One of the assistant professors said, “I don’t know whether they tested positive for Covid-19 but the building was shut down around June 29 as a precautionary measure. We were told that it would open after a few days, around two weeks from June 29 and after proper santisation.”

There are more than 3,500 people who receive salaries and pension including employees, faculties, security personnel and pensioners among others. Another assistant professor said, “But this time we haven’t received our salary. We have not been told either as to when we will receive it. We were just told that we will get our salaries after the central administrative building reopens after proper sanitisation.”

The university authorities had issued a notice in February that salary could be delayed. The Union Human Resource Development Ministry sought an explanation from the management.

Source: Hindustan Times