SVNIT employees face salary issue again

Surat: There could not be worst start to the new year than this. Salaries of teachers and non-teaching staff of Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT) have been delayed and there is little possibility of they getting the payment before lapse of a week. About 200 teachers, 150 administrative staff, 250 daily wage staff and 300 research scholars are desperately waiting for payment for the past five days.
Institute officials said they did not receive grant for salaries from ministry of human resource development (MHRD). The grant is likely to come by February 10. Interestingly, the institute officials had announced in September that SVNIT’s annual grant has been increased to Rs125 crore from Rs80 crore. There are funds with the institute but they are reserved for specific purpose.
A group of employees in a representation to SVNIT director S R Gandhi on Tuesday demanded that their salaries be paid immediately. The staff were assured that their salaries will be paid at the earliest.
“There were problems in the past, but this time the grant is delayed due to some other issues. We are hopeful of receiving the grant soon,” Gandhi said.
After its annual grant was put on hold for two consecutive years from 2016 by the MHRD, the institute faced severe financial crisis and had to delay payment of salaries for a couple months in 2019. The institute, which has been struggling with financial issues since 2015, is showing signs of stability after replacement of a few top officials now. The institute could not submit audited accounts to MHRD for 2016-17 and 2017-18 because of financial irregularities and absence of bank reconciliation document. In the past, accounts without clearance by The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India were submitted and MHRD had even released grant. But with change in the rules, the grant of SVNIT has been put on hold this time.