M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Sept 14: Teachers of six permanent affiliated degree colleges to Nilamber Pitamber University sat on a one-day dharna on Tuesday protesting against the inordinate delay in the release of grants in aid to these colleges.
Garhwa district has a total of three permanent affiliated degree colleges including one at Bhavnathpur and two in Garhwa town. Latehar has one while Palamu district has 2, one each at Panki and Japla.
Vivekananda Upadhayay, a senior teacher of one of the 6 colleges, said: “Our demand is genuine and legitimate. We want our grant in aid on time.”
Updadhaya further said, “The state government had sent a sum of Rs 2,18,40,000 as grant in aid way back on March 31st for the permanently affiliated degree colleges but NPU is sitting tight over it.”
This senior teacher of Hindi went on to say “This is almost an annual feature when inordinate delays occur at the level of NPU in the release of the grant in aid and we are to raise our voices.”
Upadhaya blamed the complex and complicated role of the governing body in matters of grant in aid and said the university is also complicating the matter most. “We urge the university to be more lenient with the grant.”
Among the 6 permanent affiliated degree colleges, the college at Japla is off the financial hook following the lack of 2F endowment to the UGC.
On the other hand, registrar of the NPU, Dr Rakesh Kumar said, “The grant in aid has come and it is with the district treasury. We believe the treasury will be soon clearing it.”
On being asked why this inordinate delay in releasing the grant happens, the registrar said: “There is a set procedure for the release of grant in which the governing body has to recommend its final say in the college’s grant in aid.”
