SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, June 19: Resentment is brewing among retired teachers of Jharkhand as the vice-chancellors of six universities out of seven in the state have been sitting on 7th pay scale gratuity for the last seven years.
As per the 7th pay scale, a retired teacher has to get a maximum Rs 20 lakh gratuity but they are still paid gratuity of Rs 10 lakh as per the 6th pay scale.
Only the vice-chancellor of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University, Ranchi, Dr Tapan Kumar Shandilya has implemented the payment under 7th pay gratuity so far. The university has recently paid Dr Anil Kumar (department of history) and two other professors Rs 20 lakh as gratuity of the 7th pay scale.
The V-C told media persons that if funds are available in college/ university why would the gratuity of 7th pay not be paid, steering the issue to non-availability of funds.
However, the vice-chancellor of Ranchi University, Ranchi, Kolhan University, ,Chaibasa, Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribagh, Binod Bihari Mahto Koylanchal University, Dhanbad, Sido Kanhu Murmu University, Dumka and Nilamber Pitamber University Palamu have been sitting on gratuity under the 7th pay scale.
“It looks surprising that university/college teachers of the state have not been paid 7th pay scale, arrear and its other benefits from 1-1-2016 instead being paid gratuity of 6th pay scale,” said a retired professor of BBMKU Dhanbad, who wished not to be quoted.
A retired professor of Ranchi University said that there is no dearth of funds in colleges and university accounts, but despite it, vice-chancellors have been sitting on the 7th pay scale.
Notably, the state government has recently issued a notification for paying gratuity under the 7th pay scale to the non- teaching staff of all seven universities in the state.
The retired teachers also lamented that a delegation of the Federation of Universities Teachers Association of Jharkhand (FUTAJ) comprising representatives of all seven universities under general secretary Prof Rajkumar met principal secretary of the Chancellor ( Governor) Dr Nitin Madan Kulkarni on May 29 but did not raise the issue of non-payment of gratuity under the 7th pay scale.
The delegation raised five issues including curtailment of leave, pending promotion, pension, PhD/ M Phil increment and provident fund only.
FUTAJ general secretary Prof Rajkumar (Ranchi) did not receive the call but Prof Jitendra Aryan of BBMKU, who was one of the members of the delegation admitted that they missed the issue. “At the next meeting scheduled shortly we would raise the issue of gratuity,” he reassured.
