CHANDIGARH: For the past few years, members of the PGI faculty aren’t getting their monthly conveyance allowance of Rs 2,000, used for travelling to the hospital on emergency call. The institute’s administration claimed in a meeting with them recently that even though the claim form had changed, prospective release wasn’t delayed.
Kumar Gaurav Dhawan, deputy director of administration at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI), said: "After seventh pay commission, there have been some changes in the way the allowance is paid. However, the new proforma has been issued and the allowances paid for this financial year. If someone shows expenditure, the claim, being a part of the salary, has to be given. The recent proforma is based on the AIIMS (All-India Institute of Medical Sciences) format."
The PGI has more than 500 members of faculty. A back of-the-envelope calculation gives an estimate of more than Rs 1.2 crore as due to be released to them for the previous financial years as conveyance allowance. Sources in the institute say that the members had asked for this unpaid allowance. A PGI official said: "We are finding a methodology to apply for cases prior to the notification. No decision has been made, so far."
The members of the faculty say they were long deprived. One of them said: "During any emergency after the office hours, we travel to the hospital by own means. The institute promises to send an ambulance but we cannot wait for it and let the patients suffer." Another member said: "Often we are unaware of the allowances and discrepancies until the end of the financial year. We work beyond duty hours without any extra salary."
