Pay staff salaries from students' fund: Delhi government to DU colleges

NEW DELHI:  The Delhi government's Department of Higher Education on Friday has once again asked the 12 fully funded Delhi University (DU) colleges to pay the salaries of its staffs — both teaching and non-teaching from Student Society Fund (SSF), triggering war of words with the DU teachers. 

"Outstanding salaries to the teaching and non-teaching staffs be released immediately from the SSF as has been done in the past, till the process of special audit is completed/further instalments of GIA (under the salary head) are released," read the circular undersigned by Narendra Passi, Deputy director of Department of Higher Education. 

"For the purpose, requisite  permission for utilising the SSF for payment of salaries to the teaching and non-teaching is here by accorded. If any salaries remain unpaid after the SSF has been exhausted the remaining amount willl be paid by the  Directorate of higher education after reciept of formal request from concerned colleges," read the circular further. 

Reacting to the circular, DUTA President Rajib Ray said, "Using SSF for paying outstanding salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff is unacceptable to us. This fund is collected from students for organizing extra-curricular activities and is, thus, plugged back into the system by colleges for students. By ordering usage of SSC for paying salaries, the Delhi government is pushing the burden of salaries on parents and students."

"This is unacceptable, even as an interim measure. Even in the past, if colleges  were forced to use SSF for such purpose, the money was borrowed from this account and has always been returned back to the head as soon as grants-in-aid were released. Reason they claim this illegality is because this fund is discretionary with principals and there is corruption done in how this money is spent," said the Delhi government. 

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