SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Oct 21: College and university teachers of the state are heading towards agitation for the gratuity fixation as per the 7th pay scale of UGC.
Teachers of Jharkhand colleges and universities are paid salaries as per the 7th pay scale at par with other states in the country since January 1, 2016, but get the gratuity is given on basis of the 6th pay scale. Due to this discrepancy, these teachers face a loss of around Rs 10 lakh.
“At present, under the 6th pay scale, teachers of Jharkhand colleges and universities draw around Rs 10 lakh as gratuity while under the 7th pay scale they would get around Rs 20 lakh,” said a retired senior professor.
The retired professor rued that other staff of state government are paid as per the 7th pay scale as well as a gratuity of 7th pay. “Ironically, IAS officers take salaries as per the 7th pay scale and gratuity as per 7th pay but they have held up the gratuity to teachers of the college and university,” said the retired professor of Binod Bihari Mahto Koylanchal University, Dhanbad.
Federation of Universities Teachers Association of Jharkhand (FUTAJ), the frontal organization of colleges and universities teachers of the state, has resolved to intensify the agitation for gratuity on basis of the 7th pay scale.
FUTAJ president Prof NK Singh (Dumka) and general secretary Prof Rajkumar (Ranchi) said that the teachers’ community of the state is surprised over the delay by the HRD in issuing notification for payment of gratuity on basis of the 7th pay scale.
They said that the HRD is intentionally complicating the matter. They quipped that when all employees of the state government are given similar allowances then what is the need for a separate notification for gratuity payment to teachers?
“Patience of college and university teachers is running out. Prof MN Tiwary of Kolhan university has already knocked on the door of the High Court for justice over gratuity. FUTAJ too would be compelled to move to court if HRD does not remove the discrepancy,” said Prof NK Singh.
FUTAJ general secretary Prof Rajkumar said that repeated memorandum is being given to the state government as well as the Chancellor (Governor) for correction in gratuity payment but to no avail so far. “FUTAJ would not keep mum on this matter for long. Proper step would be initiated for getting justice,” he said.
