The Centre on Tuesday asked Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty to explain why a notice had been issued informing teachers and other staff about a possible delay in salary payments although he had been told that funds would be sent by February 28.
Amit Khare, secretary of the department of higher education under the Union human resource development ministry, told The Telegraph that he met Chakrabarty on Monday and told him that extra funds would be released.
“The finance (division) has already given extra funds that will be sent to Visva-Bharati before February 28. There is no question of a delay in salary payments at the university. In spite of this information, Visva-Bharati university issued a written notice about a delay in salary payments. We have sought an explanation from the VC for creating this wrong impression,” Khare said.
Girish Hosur, the joint secretary of higher education in the HRD ministry, said: “There might be a one or two-day delay in disbursing funds but all universities give salaries from their own funds to meet such problem. It is quite natural for all universities.”
Visva-Bharati, a central university, had cited a funds crunch in the notice.
The HRD ministry on Tuesday issued a clarification. “It is clarified that there is no such situation which causes delay in salary. Funds for the salary are being released to the university on time after following proper procedure,” said the communication issued by C.P. Ratnakaran, under-secretary to the Centre.
The officiating registrar of Visva-Bharati, Asha Mukherjee, had on Monday issued the notice stating that the salary for February was likely to be delayed for paucity of funds.
Calls and text messages to VC Chakrabarty went unanswered on Tuesday.
A senior professor said: “We were surprised when officials in the HRD ministry told us that there was no problem with funds. They asked us not to worry. Now our question is why did the varsity issue such a notification. Was there any intention to create panic among the employees?”
Visva-Bharati joint registrar (accounts) Sanjay Ghosh said: “We had sought Rs 230 crore for salary and pension in this financial year but the UGC gave us only Rs 160 crore. Now we have no money to pay salaries if the remaining funds do not reach us before February 27. So, we have informed our employees in advance as a cautionary measure.”