Pay salaries or face action, Top officer Naveen Mittal warns colleges

Hyderabad: Telangana commissioner of technical education, Naveen Mittal has directed all the colleges to immediately pay salaries to their teaching staff and employees for the lockdown period or be ready to face action.

In a letter to colleges affiliated to Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTUH), Osmania University (OU) and Kakatiya University (KU), the commissioner instructed them to release the pending salaries of employees and teaching staff without fail.

This follows complaints by Telangana Technical Institutes Employees Association(TITEA) alleging delay in paying salaries during the lockdown period.

According to TITEA, several colleges have not paid salaries to their employees and teaching staff for March and April. In a written complaint, the Association demanded action against the management for violating orders of the regulatory bodies.

TITEA has also alleged that the private college managements are overburdening the faculty by asking them to do various things apart from the online teaching classes.

The teachers are being asked to conduct online seminars, create and monitor WhatsApp groups, prepare and post online quizzes, evaluate assignments, prepare and post MCQs, and produce daily attendance sheets.

According to GO NO 45, all government and private establishments were instructed to pay full wages and salaries to workers and employees including those working under contract or outsourcing basis. Any violation will be viewed seriously and will invite penal action under the Epidemics Disease Act 1897, the GO stated.

"The salary and other dues to the faculty members/staff members should be released for the duration of lockdown and also terminations if any made should be withdrawn. Hence, the same may be strictly complied with. A letter in this regard has also been issued to the respective chief secretaries of all the states/UTs," read the circular.

Naveen Mittal, commissioner of technical education said stern action will be taken against colleges and institutions if they fail to follow instructions by the regulatory bodies. "Any violation will be viewed seriously and will invite penal action under the Epidemics Disease Act 1897," he said.

Dr. Balakrishna Reddy, President, Telangana Technical Institutes Employees Association(TITEA) said colleges have to pay full salaries for lockdown period. “Otherwise TTIEA will approach High court," he said.