PATNA: In a major jolt to the academic fraternity of Patna University, the varsity authorities on Friday slashed the pay of as many as 174 readers as per a directive of the state HRD department. These teachers have also been asked to refund the excess payment received by them over the years.
It was in 2001 that the UGC’s fifth pay revision of 1996 was implemented in the state varsities. In accordance with the UGC guidelines, PU also allowed those who had put in five years of service as reader to draw a hiked basic of Rs 14,950.
However, the audit objected to this hike on the ground that the state government had not notified this part of the UGC guidelines. Accordingly, the state HRD department directed PU to revert these teachers on their original scale of reader. A notification regarding revised lower pay of the 174 readers was issued on Friday evening, and the HRD department intimated.
According to a rough estimate, each of these readers would have to refund anything between Rs two lakh to four lakh, depending on when they started getting the hiked basic. Quite a few of such beneficiaries went to the court to claim arrears since 1996, and even got the same while a few others have since retired from the service, sources said.
PU has also re-fixed the pay of its former registrar Vibhas Kumar Yadav (currently registrar of BRA Bihar University) in the lower scale following the audit objections, and asked him to refund the excess payment received by him.
The university has already demoted as many as 14 class III staff to class IV category on the direction of HRD department and asked them to refund the excess payment received by them.
Preparations are also afoot to revise the salaries and demote teachers whose services were absorbed in PU under different absorption statutes.
The state HRD department has directed the university to calculate the services of these teachers from the date of absorption and not from the date of initial appointment.
However, some senior teachers of PU said the university cannot take such an action in the case of absorbed teachers as the Patna High Court has ordered a stay on the matter. Justice Mridula Mishra of the Patna High Court, while hearing a writ petition filed by Dharam Sheela Prasad and other teachers of PU on September 7, 2009 restrained the university authorities from taking any coercive action against the petitioners and the likes.