Clerical mistake halts salary of govt primary teachers in Jalandhar

A single clerical mistake on part of the district primary education authorities in demanding the remaining salary budget, halted the salary of over 2,300 permanent primary teachers posted in the district. The teachers had received their last salary of October 2017.

The Jalandhar district education office (primary) authorities in October had written to the director of public instruction (DPI) elementary, requesting the disbursement of the pending salary in which they have asked for Rs 60 lakh while Rs 60 crore was the remaining amount.

However, an official in the DEO office claimed that they have sent at least seven letters to the DPI, of which six were with correct figure of Rs 60 crore while just one letter had Rs 60 lakh amount which was mentioned mistakenly, of which the department created an issue.

As per the information, the Jalandhar DEO primary office had sent a demand of Rs 170 crore for the teachers’ salary budget for 2017-2018 financial year, of which the government had allocated Rs 110 crore, while Rs 60 crore was withheld by the authorities.

Only salary of the Jalandhar district’s government primary teachers had cost the government Rs 15-16 crore per month and the department was left with only Rs 9.53 crore after disbursing October’s salary.

Officials said that from Rs 9.53 crore grant of the salary budget left with the department, the block primary education officers (BPEOs) have claimed the reimbursement of arrears and pending bills. However, the approval of arrears and bills are lying pending with the treasury officer. 

“Teachers have been facing a tough time as it's been over two months that we have not received a salary in our accounts. The teachers are unnecessarily suffering due to a little mistake by the DEO officials,” said, Ganesh Bhagat, general secretary Government Teachers Union Punjab.

Bhagat said that the DEO shall withdraw the bills and arrears claimed by the BPEOs as this is the salary budget. “If the department fails to disburse the salaries, their union will gherao the DEO primary office on January 21,” he said.

Rampal, Jalandhar district education officer (DEO-primary) said that even if they get bills and arrears withdrawn from the BPEOs, they won’t be able to disburse the salaries as it needs Rs 15 to Rs 16 crore just to pay a single month’s salary. “I have been sending letters, requesting the DPI authorities to release the pending budget so as to disburse salaries to the teachers,” Rampal said.

DPI elementary Inderjit Singh said that due to a single mistake by the DEO primary authorities, the disbursement of funds have got delayed. He said that the department had transferred Rs 60 lakh as demanded by the DEO.

“The matter will be sorted only after the finance department holds a meeting in which the mistake will be corrected and remaining budget disbursed,” he added.