Without salary since January, teachers question donation to PM-CARES Fund

Avneet Kaur

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Jalandhar, June 17

Teachers of as many as six DAV Colleges in the state have been awaiting their salaries and pending Provident Fund (PF) for the past four to five months. They alleged that they had been facing several financial problems and had to seek loans from their friends and family to manage their everyday expenses.

However, with faculty members left in lurch, the DAV Management has, meanwhile, in April donated a hefty amount of Rs 5 crore to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-CARES) Fund. The teachers said the amount donated to the PM Cares Fund was collected from staff members where each employee contributed their one-day salary (basic + dearness allowance) in the month of March.

Convenor DAV Co-ordination Committee Surinder Kaur has written a letter to President DAV College Managing Committee (DCMC), New Delhi, complaining about the non-release of the salaries and PF of teachers of six DAV Colleges, which include MMD DAV College — Gidderbaha, KRM DAV College — Nakodar, DAV College—Malout, DAV College For Women —Ferozepur, Gopi Chand College—Abohar and LR DAV College—Jagraon, for the last four to five months.

In the letter, Surinder Kaur, said, “On the call of the DAV Management, all employees of the DAV Colleges have donated one-day salary for the PM Relief fund to fight the pandemic. But now, when employees of the organisation have been facing the resource crunch, the management has failed to address their grievances.”

She said in the present situation, teachers had been finding it hard to manage their expenses. Also, the schools of their children have started demanding fee for three months, while they do not have enough money to meet their needs. “The deadly virus is spreading fast and there is uncertainty and chaos everywhere. The management must look into the matter and release the salaries of the employees at the earliest,” she added.

Another, a teacher from KRM DAV College, Nakodar, said he had not received his salary since April. “It’s hard for me to run my family without salary. I am the sole bread earner and I also have to pay the EMIs of my house, fees of my kids and among other expenses to be paid,” he said.

Meanwhile, HR Gandhar, Vice President, DAV College, Managing Committee, denied the allegations of non-release of salaries and said the management during this Covid-19 period had released Rs 250 crores as loan to different DAV Colleges in the state. He said despite grants and scholarships of SC students not being released by the state government, the college has managed to support its faculty members and students by providing every help possible.