Teachers of six Delhi University colleges finally got their salaries after a gap of four months as the Delhi government released a grant for them on Saturday. However, six other colleges are yet to get paid.
The colleges that received the grant include Bhimrao Ambedkar College, Shaheed Rajguru College of Applied Science, Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Maharaja Agrasen College, Bhaskaracharya College and Acharya Narendra Dev College.
Due to non-release of grants, hundreds of teachers in 12 different colleges of DU could not get their salaries for the last four months. With the release of grant for six colleges the government also assured the remaining six that they will also get money after a governing body will be constituted for them.
Among the grants released to colleges by the Delhi government, Maharaja Agrasen College got Rs 1.95 crore, Acharya Narendra Dev College (Rs 2.70 crore), Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports Sciences (Rs 1.49 crore), Bhaskaracharya College (Rs 1.80 crore), Shaheed Rajguru College (Rs 1.64 crore) and the Bhimrao Ambedkar College (Rs 2.18 crore).
A delegation of teachers including those from the Delhi Teachers Association had met Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai and Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam last week demanding the release of grants for 12 colleges.
The delegation had informed the ministers that teachers, permanent staff and other contractual of these colleges have not received their salaries for four months causing severe financial distress to them.
Sisodia had assured the delegation that the colleges in which the governing body has been made will get paid soon. He had also said that the government will not release the payment now for the colleges where the University has not sent the names of the members of governing body.
The Delhi University administration said that the names of the members of remaining six colleges will be sent on September 14.
In these 12 colleges, about 50 to 60 per cent staff are adhoc teachers, guest teachers and contractual employees.
Professor Hansraj Suman of Sri Aurobindo College said, "The teachers and staff of 12 fully-funded Delhi government colleges were facing economic crisis since the lockdown. Most of these teachers were depressed as they live in rented houses and have to pay car EMIs and other installments, etc."
"The organisation of colleges whose grants have not been released will soon meet Sisodia. They are also facing financial crisis," added Professor Suman.
