The state government's education department had circulated the letters to the universities which stated that 800 teachers who did not send their necessary documents to the pay verification cell by March 31 will suffer withholding of their salaries or their salaried will be reduced. But the Federation of the Teacher's Association in Bihar (Futab) has pleaded the state government to withdraw this letter.
The president of the association Kanhaiya Bahadur Sinha submitted a memorandum to the education minister. The memorandum states that the Patna High Court considers the pay verification cell just as an auditing body. It has no powers to reduce or change the pay and positions of the university teachers. Hence the universities can make and review the audit objections.
The letter has invalidated several pay slips issued by the cell. Also if the teachers send their papers directly to the cell it will be a case of ignoring and bypassing the employer. And the responsibility of sending the papers for verification to the government lies with the registrars of the universities
The teachers are to submit the papers to the registrars.
The order to withhold the salaries or to reduce them is a very inappropriate method as the employers won't be acknowledged. It forces the teachers to send the papers directly to the cell.
The pension and other benefits of the retired teachers should be permanent as per the last pay. Only if these have been fraudulently obtained this doesn't apply. Many Supreme Court and high court judgements have been based on this. Also once the 'provisional pension payment 'order has been issued it cannot be taken back.
The minister was requested to implement the high court order that was conceded in Case No 7636/14.
The pay verification cell has altered the pay and reduced the rank of the teachers. This step will resolve the issue.
Later the registrars will be directed to send the papers that could not be sent earlier.
Sinha said that they have not probed the government powers for the university audits. It's just that the reduction in the pays, pensions, ranks and emoluments of the teachers that have been fixed by the statutory bodies are not acceptable.
Tags: Kanhaiya Bahadur Sinha
Patna
High Court
Salary Documents
Universities
