In an unprecedented situation, the teaching and non-teaching staff members of Aligarh Muslim University have been paid only half of their pension for the month of October. In a letter written to the President of India, the AMU Teachers’ Association said, “Pensioners, which include non-teaching staff, have received just half the pension amount this month.”
To make the matter more painful, outgoing AMUTA honorary secretary Najmul Islam said, “No official communication has been issued and pensioners are shocked as the action has inflicted agony and hardship to them.”
The AMUTA requested the President for help in releasing the deducted amount.
The issue came to light after Aftab Alam, professor of Political Science and a member of the Executive Council of the University, wrote an open letter to his colleagues raising the issue and saying it had only compounded the woes of the retired employees during the pandemic. “Many of them have not even been paid their full retiral benefits, such as encashment of leave, gratuity for last few years,” said Prof Alam, adding those in the non-teaching staff receiving family pension were the worst affected.
He reminded that the delay in the payment of pension and other retiral benefits had been viewed “by our courts with grave concern”.
Matter of prestige
It has also become a matter of prestige for AMU employees because the State universities in the region, such as Bhimrao Ambedkar University and Chaudhary Charan Singh University, have not faced any such issue yet.
Distinguished professor Hamid Ali, who retired in November 2019, said he was yet to receive retiral benefits. “I sent my daughter to study in Italy, but now I am finding it very hard.” The two-time former AMUTA president said it was hard to understand the university’s priorities as, ironically, gates were being constructed.
Mohd. Shahzad, who retired as assistant controller in 2019, said the decision was “harsh and unimaginable” at a time when the elderly are struggling to cope with the pandemic.
Describing the situation as frustrating and unfortunate, Prof. Alam said, “Every time I raise the issue, I have been told that the problem lies at the UGC level.”
Shafey Kidwai, university spokesperson, admitted the concerns were genuine. “This month there has been a cut of ₹17 crore in the salary bill. The Finance Officer and the Registrar have raised the issue with the UGC. We hope it will be resolved soon.”
