Allhabad University releases 40% of arrears.

This year's Holi would be sweeter for around 800 teachers of the Allahabad University and its constituent colleges as the authorities of the varsity have released an order regarding disbursement of 40 per cent of their Sixth Pay Commission arrears.

"The orders have been signed on February 21 and the amount of arrears would be transferred to respective accounts in the first week of March," said JN Mishra, officiating finance officer, AU. "The new pay scales, recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission, are effective from January 1, 2006," he added.

Besides, giving the arrears, the varsity authorities have also issued orders sanctioning payment of two increments to constituent college teachers who have a PhD. The orders meet a longstanding demand of the college teachers as their university counterparts were already getting the increments.

The pay revision order paves way for all AU professors, including the vice-chancellor, getting Rs 2.5 lakh, all readers, both of the varsity and the colleges, getting Rs 1.5 lakh and all lecturers getting Rs 1 lakh as arrears. The university plans to disburse the remaining (60 per cent) amount once it gets the all-clear from the University Grants Commission (UGC). The varsity is set to bear a burden of about Rs 15 cr disbursing the said amount.

The order, issued by the varsity registrar Firdaus A Wani, has been sent to all heads of departments, directors of institutes and principals of the constituent colleges. The disbursement is on an ad-hoc basis as it would be disbursed only after taking an undertaking from all beneficiaries that in case of any variation, teachers would have to payback the amount of variation.

Now, with the said two orders meeting out the two major demands of the nine-point charter of demands forwarded by the Allahabad University and Constituent Colleges' Teachers' Association (AUCCTA), it would be interesting to see its implications on the massive dharna scheduled to be staged at the AU North Hall on February 28.