OUR STAFF REPORTER Indore State universities are likely to witness agitation by employees in days to come as the finance department has cleared that it would not be able to allocate funds for pension to retired varsity employees as per the
6th Pay Commissions recommendation.
The denial is likely to provoke varsity employees, who had just returned from strike over the issue, and they may resume the strike that would affect students the most in this examination season.
Varsity employees have been demanding pension to employees retired after January 1,2006 as per the Sixth Pay Panel recommendations for last one year.
They had struck works in November last year forcing the Department of Higher Education ( DHE) to push their demand with the Finance Department. But the Department had expressed its inability to make budget provision for pension to retiring employees. Resultantly, the matter reached the High Court that ruled in favour of employees and directed to make provision for the sixth pay panel pension to university employees by June.
The court had said that since university employees were getting pay as per the 6th pay scale, they should also be given pension on the same scale.
However, the Finance Department remained firm on its decision and decided to challenge the decision of single bench of the High Court in the double bench, sources said.
On learning about this, employees of state universities went on indefinite strike on April 16 over this and 10 other issues jeopardizing semester exams commencing from May 1.
Panicked by the strike, the DHE had held meetings with employees association and assured it of pushing the demand of the 6th pay pension.
However, the Finance Department reiterated that it would not be able to give funds for the 6th pay pension to retiring university employees and that it would challenge the courts ruling in the double bench.
Meanwhile, D AVV Employees ( non- teaching) Association president Anil Yadav said he believed that the DHE would meet its words given to employees.
‘We are looking up to DHE. I think the department officers will do justice to us and respect the courts decision,’he added.
Registrars also say no After the Finance Departments denial, the DHE talked to registrars and asked them if the universities can give the 6th pay pension on their own. According to sources, all the registrars told the DHE that the varsities do not have enough funds to meet the requirement. To this, the DHE has decided to send a proposal to the Finance Department, despite its negative response twice, f or reconsideration on the issue.
