Pending post-matric scholarship dues led to salary cuts, says college Principal

Jalandhar, March 15

The Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Association has written to the Vice-Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) about the reduction of salaries of teachers of Lyallpur Khalsa College for Women, Jalandhar, an affiliated college. The Asssociation alleged that college principal Dr Navjot Kaur has reduced the salaries of teachers by around 50 per cent.

Row at Lyallpur Khalsa College for Women

College principal Dr Navjot Kaur said the salaries of staff are presently at 70 per cent of what they were getting earlier and it was mainly due to the uncleared post-matric scholarship dues that the college was forced to take this measure.

General secretary of the organisation Prof Jaspal Singh said these teachers were already not being given full grade as per the UGC/Punjab Government/University norms and now the salary which was being given has been reduced to almost half. Spokesperson Prof Tarun Ghai said the GNDU is one of the leading universities of the country. He said the association has written to the Vice-Chancellor seeking strict action against the principal of the college and also sought full salaries for teachers as per the rules of the university and the Punjab government.

The AUCT members said 10 teachers of the college were presently getting reduced salaries.

“The salaries were reduced to half during two years of the pandemic, since April 2020. Amidst clamour for a raise, the salaries were marginally increased a few months ago and presently they are being paid 70 per cent of the previous salaries, with a 30 per cent cut still persisting. Majority of the staff is between 40 to 50 years of age, so they can’t join another college at this time.”

Navjot Kaur, principal of Lyallpur Khalsa College for Women, Jalandhar, said, “There are educational institutions that haven’t paid their staff for a much longer time. I don’t know why the issue of our college is only being raised. We are paying 70 per cent of the salaries to our staff. Additionally, for the past three years, our post-matric scholarship dues haven’t been paid by the government. Rs 3 crore of our dues is pending with the government. We have 80 per cent SC students. We pay salaries from the fees of students. If we don’t get fee money from the government, salary will naturally be affected. The past dues payable will also be cleared as soon as our financial condition gets better.”