Darbhanga, July 1: Lalit Narayan Mithila University’s (LNMU) move to rectify the pay scale of its assistants, effective from March this year, is giving financial headaches to around 328 persons.

The employees would now draw a salary between Rs 17,000 and Rs 24,000 as against their previous pay package of Rs 24,000 to Rs 32,000. A university assistant said he and his colleagues were getting around Rs 8,319 less every month than their earlier income. The reduced amount includes deduction for adjustment of additional money paid to them.

The assistant said two of his children were studying in Delhi and it was difficult for him to meet their educational expenses after the implementation of the new pay scale. “Moreover, I have to repay a home loan and it has become very difficult to meet both ends,” he said.

Ramnek Dwivedi, the president of the varsity employees’ association, told The Telegraph: “The employees, for the past year, were being paid on the recommendation of Vijay Prakash Committee formed in 2008. It submitted its report in 2010. We have met the vice-chancellor who has asked us to meet the financial officer and financial advisor.”

The president said if the pay scale was not revised, the association might move the court.

Triloki Nath Mishra, a varsity assistant, said he was not the only one under financial stress. Most of the employees of the university were facing the same financial crunch.

He said the university assistants in most of the varsities, including Patna University and Bhim Rao Ambedkar Bihar University, were getting salaries in the pay scale between Rs 24,000 and 32,000.

Narendra Dutta Jha, another university assistant, said they did not have any association to place their woes before the vice-chancellor.

The financial officer of LNMU, S.K. Chaudhary told The Telegraph: “The university has rectified the pay scale of university assistants according to government directives and there was no question of changing it now.”