Kolkata: The Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) threatened a protest on Monday. The association alleged the West Bengal Higher Education Department planned to withhold two months’ pension and one month’s salary for university employees. However, a senior department official dismissed these concerns. The official stated there was “no question” of withholding pensions, retirement benefits, or delaying salaries.
JUTA Alleges Delays and Fund Issues
JUTA General Secretary Partha Pratim Roy issued a statement. He reported the association learned pensions for October and November had been held back. Roy also stated other retirement dues were delayed. Additionally, the department allegedly withheld the salary for November . Roy communicated these concerns in an open letter to teachers.
JUTA suggested the university’s corpus fund neared exhaustion. This exhaustion, Roy alleged, resulted from payments for salaries, pensions, and retirement benefits. The association also highlighted a recent departmental order. This order removed the university’s authority to approve pensions. It transferred this responsibility to the Directorate of Pension, Provident Fund & Group Insurance (DPPG).
Roy expressed concern about this transfer. He noted university and government offices maintain personal files differently. This disparity could cause delays in pension processing. JUTA also claimed teachers faced uncertainty about receiving next month’s pensions. The association further alleged that the new HRMS (Human Resource Management System) aimed to centralize salary approval, removing it from the university.
The teachers’ body stated it had repeatedly submitted demands to the university. Roy indicated the Executive Council (EC) discussed various matters but avoided this issue. He noted EC members claiming government representation supported the department’s position.
Government Refutes Allegations
A senior higher education official directly addressed JUTA’s claims. The official stated no possibility existed of the department withholding pension or other retirement benefits. They also denied any plans to delay salaries for Jadavpur University teaching and non-teaching staff.
The official acknowledged some work faced delays. This was due to processing requirements for shifting HR-related tasks. These tasks moved from state university control to a new centralized software system. Despite these processing adjustments, the official confirmed legitimate economic benefits for staff would not be impacted. They emphasized that no due payments would be withheld.
Impact and Outlook
The ongoing dispute leaves university staff uncertain about future payments. JUTA’s threat of protest signals potential disruption. The government maintains its commitment to timely payments, attributing any minor processing delays to system transitions. The situation highlights tensions between university autonomy and centralized state control over financial and HR functions.