IHK: KU employees without salary

Srinagar, Dec 15 : With the newly-appointed Registrar of University of Kashmir Prof Zaffar Ahmad Reshi “following proper procedure” in availing funds from the JK Government and “ensuring there is no misuse of Finance,” the Varsity is short of Rs 3.2 crore to meet the monthly salary of over 1750 employees.

Official sources said for the first time Kashmir University is yet to release monthly salary to its employees. “It is for the first time that there is a delay of six days in release of monthly salary to the employees,” an official of the Varsity said.

 The University, according to highly placed sources, is facing a deficit of Rs 3.2 crores per month to pay the salary of over 1750 teaching and non-teaching employees.

Official sources said the Valley’s highest seat of learning is facing a grave economic crisis. “In past the Varsity would use various other funds to clear the salary bill of employees that resulted in mismanagement of funds,” they said.

 Earlier, the Varsity’s salary bill used to be around Rs 4 crore per month after the implementation of 6th Pay Commission it mounted to Rs 7.2 crores per month. But the JK Government still releases just Rs 4 crores. Presently, there is a deficit of Rs 3.2 crores,” an administrative official told Greater Kashmir.

 He said while the University was utilizing other funds to pay the salary of employees, the newly-appointed Registrar has called for “proper use of funds.” “The University in past was spending other funds to meet the employees’ salaries. From 2010, the Varsity has been misusing the funds meant for other purposes including research, infrastructure and conduct of examination. The administration would divert these funds to salary of employees,” the official said, adding that the J&K Government was adamant to release further Rs 3.2 crores.

 The amount of payment seats, which according to the university norms has to be spent on the infrastructure for students, was also diverted to the employees’ salaries, the official said.

“The University earns Rs 20 crores per year from over three lakh students registered in affiliated colleges and campuses. The amount was never used at apt places. In turn the University bears various other liabilities as well,” the official said.

 Over 1200 non-teaching, 500 teaching and 50 top officials of the University are yet to get the salary for the month of November, the official said: “There is an acute deficit of salary in even the non-plan under which the causal labourers are paid the salaries.”

 Registrar Kashmir University Prof Zaffar Ahmad Reshi, when contacted, said the J&K Government was releasing 100 percent of the salary amount to the Varsity but admitted there were issues that needed to be addressed. Asked about the diversion of funds, the Registrar said it was a “misnomer.”

 He said the salary of the employees would be released in a day or two. “I am making sure that there is no diversion of funds. Employees’ salary would be released according to the proper procedure,” he said.

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