Bihar govt releases grant for two-month backlog salary in varsities, institutes

The Bihar government’s department of education late Friday evening released a Rs.251.56 crore grant for the salary of teachers, professors and employees for June and July in the state universities, constituent colleges and minority/aided institutions, said officials aware of the matter.

The letter from higher education director Rekha Kumari categorically mentioned that a grant of Rs.1132.05 crore has been approved for salary to those appointed as per norms on the sanctioned posts.

With the entire year’s budget for varsities approved, payment could smoothen in the coming months.

Pataliputra University has got the maximum allocation of Rs.38.64 crore for two months, followed by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University (Muzaffarpur)– Rs.31.17 crore, LN Mithila University (Darbhanga)– Rs.29.98 crore and Magadh University (Bodh Gaya)– Rs.28.90-crore.

Bihar’s college and varsity teachers and employees have remained without salary and the retired ones without pension since June.

Delayed salary payment is a chronic problem in the state’s universities/colleges and schools and a mechanism to ensure monthly disbursal of salary is yet to be made.

Even the pension payment and retirement benefits get stuck in universities for months and lead to court cases.

The government had on Wednesday released a Rs.281.91 crore grant for pension payment.

Moreover, the state government has approved the annual budget of Rs.1230.22 crore for the 2023-24 fiscal which will also include benefits and pensions for retired teachers and employees.

Federation of University Teachers’ Association of Bihar (FUTAB) working president KB Sinha said that delay in payment of retirement benefits and pension was a big problem.

“After retirement, teachers have to wait for months for their legitimate dues. They should not be made to run around and forced to take recourse to courts,” he said.

“The former additional chief secretary (education) had told the Patna high court that a mechanism will be worked out to ensure regular payment of pension and retirement benefits. The governor had also asked the universities to streamline it. Sooner it is done, better it will be,” Sinha added.