Futab warns of protest from July 1 over delay in salary and pension

Patna: Taking strong exception to the state govt’s handling of salary and pension payments to thousands of teachers and non-teaching employees across universities and colleges, the Federation of University Teachers Associations of Bihar (FUTAB) has demanded an effective mechanism to ensure regular disbursal.Futab warned that university teachers would stage a massive protest at university headquarters on July 1 if a robust system for timely payment is not put in place.Futab working president Kanhaiya Bahadur Sinha and general secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh said that following the chief minister’s tough stand, the govt released an ad hoc grant covering three months (March to May) on Tuesday night. However, the funds were deposited into a new pay and pension ledger created by the higher education department.They said the new ledger cannot be operationalised until all IDs from the old system are transferred, a process that will take time. As a result, teachers and staff are likely to receive payments only after about a week. Had universities been informed in advance, they could have made the necessary changes in time, they added.Alleging administrative lapses, they said, “Such tactics reflect flawed intent and an empty treasury.”They also pointed out that just a week ago, the chief minister had stated that salaries and pensions are constitutional rights that should not be delayed due to procedural hurdles. However, officials failed to act accordingly.