Patna, April 15: The decision of the state human resource development (HRD) department to ask university teachers and employees to declare their assets has provoked mixed reactions from the teaching fraternity. While some of them feel it is a good thing, others are of the opinion that this move is only a gimmick that will not have any far-reaching effects.

On Thursday night, Patna University authorities received a communiqué from the HRD department directing the university to obtain a declaration of assets from teachers, officers and non-teaching employees, including Grade IV employees.

In Patna University (PU), the teachers have welcomed the decision. Randhir Kumar Singh, a teacher from Patna College, said: “We welcome the decision. Teachers will not have any problem in declaring their assets. Moreover, in Patna University, there are only a handful of teachers who indulge in private coaching.”

PU teachers in 2004 had filled an affidavit before university authorities that they would not be associated with private tuitions.

N.K. Choudhary, convener, Patna University Democratic Teachers’ Forum, welcomed the decision. He said: “If such guidelines are received, I will be the first teacher in PU to declare my assets. We have nothing to hide.”

Other teachers, however, are not too happy with the new development.

Federation of University Teachers’ Associations of Bihar president Ramjatan Sinha said: “The decision is just a gimmick without any vision. Most teachers have no other source of income except their salaries.”

HRD secretary S. Shiv Kumar told The Telegraph: “Teachers should not have any problem in declaring their assets. It is a welcome move and it will bring transparency in their salaries.”

Kumar also said that Bihar is not the first state to ask varsity employees to declare their assets. Earlier the governments of Maharasthra and Andhra Pradesh had also asked university employees and teachers to declare their assets.

“The Maharashtra government has made it compulsory for teachers and employees to declare their assets every year. This was put into effect in June last year after Bombay High Court’s remarks that teachers are spend more time in private coaching classes than at colleges,” added Kumar.