HYDERABAD: The non-teaching employees’ joint action committee (NTEJAC) of the University of Hyderabad, who have not been attending to work for over a week, submitted a representation to Minister of State for HRD D Purandeswari at the university campus here on Friday.Around 500 members of NTEJAC staged a peaceful protest in front of the administrative building to convey their plight to the Minister.The non-teaching staff have found themselves in a spot of bother following the university executive council's decision to scrap a couple of welfare schemes.The decision was taken following a directive from the University Grants Commission (UGC), which also wanted the varsity to recover excess payments made to the non-teaching staff since 2008.“Had the scheme been withdrawn in 2008 itself, we would not have been this badly affected. More than withdrawal of these schemes, what hurts us more is the decision to recover the so-called excess payments made to us since 2008,” said Durga Prasad, a staff member. According to him, each employee would have to pay back Rs 4-8 lakh in the form of salary cuts."It would be taken from our salary leaving us with almost nothing every month," he said. The UGC wanted the schemes withdrawn as it had never approved them in the first place. But the NTEJAC members said the schemes were placed before the executive council in 2008.“A status report was forwarded to the UGC and the MHRD with demands for Part B Scales, Plus 8 scheme and the central government health scheme (CGHS). In reply, the UGC had communicated with university authorities and agreed for provision of medical facilities to the employees as per rules of the government of India. And there was complete silence and no objection from the UGC regarding implementation of the schemes following which the matter was taken up before the executive council and then implemented,” claimed T Rajender Singh and G Narasimhulu, convenors, NTEJAC.But, an official notification from the university registrar dated 10 January 2012, had stated that the implementation of these schemes was specifically subjected to their being approved by MHRD and UGC and with an undertaking from the beneficiaries that, if the UGC/MHRD does not approve these schemes, they have no objection for withdrawal of the above schemes extended to them, including recovery of extra payment made to them. Purandeswari is understood to have assured the striking staff that she would look into the issue.
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