Lehragaga Institute: Working out formula for salary payment, says minister

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, May 31

Even as the Department of Technical Education and Industrial Training has initiated the process to identify the assets and liabilities of Baba Hira Singh Bhattal Institute of Engineering and Technology in Lehragaga, Technical Education Minister Harjot Bains today held a special meeting over issue of payment of salaries to institute employees.

15 days to convey decision to govt

The department has reportedly offered adjustment of the willing employees in other government institutes, payment of a portion of the salary dues and also offer VRS to the willing employees. A period of 15 days has been given to the employees to convey their decision to the government

The minister said the department was working out some formula on the issue. Recently, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered disposal of the property of the institute to pay dues of its employees, who had filed writ petitions complaining about non-payment of their salary since December 2019. The employees had pointed out that they had been waiting for their salaries for 41 months as the institute was facing a severe financial crisis. Officials in the department said the salary and other dues of the employees amounted to around Rs 20 crore.

Representatives of the employees had also been called to the special meeting at the Directorate of Technical Education and Industrial Training here. The department is learnt to have an offered adjustment of the willing employees in other government institutes, payment of a portion of the salary dues and also offer VRS to the willing employees. A period of 15 days has been given to the employees to convey their decision to the government.

In 2019, the government had proposed to close the Baba Hira Singh Bhattal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Lehragaga, and use its premises to open an ITI or a degree college.

But in April 2021, then Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had passed an order for revival of the institute. Accordingly, Rs 340.76 lakh grant-in-aid was released by the state in May 2021 to pay six months’ salary to the staff.

The government had also directed the department to adjust the staff in other institutes. However, no action was initiated by the officers concerned.