The Delhi University Teacher's Association (DUTA) asked on Thursday that the Delhi Government release not partial but full money for the payment of salaries to teaching and non-teaching personnel at 12 fully financed colleges.
DUTA has submitted an online petition to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal that has received more than 6400 signatures so far. The petition was started on January 17. DUTA through an online press conference stated that teaching staff, non-teaching employees, and contractual workers of 12 Delhi Government-funded colleges of DU are facing a very serious and pressing problem on account of non-payment of their salaries for the past 2 to 6 months.
While addressing the press conference, Ajay Bhagi, President, DUTA said, "Since last two years the employees are suffering. We want full and not partial funding. Employees are in real debt. The medical reimbursement has not been done, and the teachers are also facing serious monetary adversities. Colleges are in a dilapidated state, especially Aditi college and Bhagini Nivedita College."
"It is an employee's right to get paid. Promotion happened, but no fixation on salary has taken place. Things cannot remain like this, especially after two years of prolonged suffering," said DUTA president. Additional funds, which are long overdue for the construction of new buildings for colleges like Bhagni Nivedita College, Aditi Mahavidayalya, Acharya Narendra Dev College, Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports, Maharishi Balmiki College of Education, etc. must be sanctioned and released immediately.
DUTA came up with an approximate deficit amount for a few colleges such as Deen Dayal Upadhyay College which has a Rs 33.80 cr deficit, Maharaja Agrasen College has Rs 28.25 cr, Acharya Narendra Dev College has Rs 20.26 cr, and IGIPES has Rs 7.85 cr deficit among others. On the first week of January DUTA called for a one-day strike and total shutdown of the university.DUTA plans to raise its voice against Delhi Government in a more structured format and says that it is ready for a prolonged struggle to save public-funded institutions.
According to DUTA, the teachers also earlier went to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) that witnessed the release of some amount for the time being. Notably, there are altogether 28 colleges in which the Delhi government fully funds 12 colleges and partially funds 16 colleges respectively.
