Three Months Without Salaries: Academic Arrangement Faculty in J&K Colleges Await Payments

Teachers Engaged Through Cluster University Srinagar and Higher Education Department Say Salaries Pending Since August; Blame-Shifting Over Attendance and Verification Delays Adds to Their Distress

Srinagar, Nov 15 : Academic arrangement faculty engaged through Cluster University Srinagar and the Higher Education Department (HED) have expressed resentment over the non-payment of their salaries for more than three months, despite having joined their respective colleges and performing teaching duties since the first week of August this year.

Several affected teachers told news agency JKNS that they have been working continuously for the past three months but are yet to receive their salaries. They said that while police verification was initially cited as the reason for the delay, the verification process of most faculty members has already been completed.

“Those of us who have completed all the required formalities and have been performing our teaching duties for the last three months should not be made to suffer because of pending verifications of some other candidates,” the teachers said, urging the concerned authorities to resolve the issue without further delay.

The faculty members further alleged that they are being made to run from one office to another, with no clarity regarding the release of their pending salaries. According to them, Cluster University Srinagar has reportedly cited non-receipt of attendance records from colleges as the reason for withholding payments, while the concerned colleges maintain that attendance details have already been submitted.

“Cluster University says colleges have not forwarded our attendance, while colleges say they have already submitted it. We do not understand where the process is getting stuck. Neither the HED nor the Cluster University has released our salaries,” the teachers said.

The affected faculty members have appealed to the Lieutenant Governor’s administration, Higher Education Department and Cluster University Srinagar to intervene and ensure the immediate release of their pending salaries, stating that they have fulfilled their responsibilities and should not be made to suffer due to administrative delays. (JKNS)