Bhopal: A guest scholar has demanded financial aid of Rs 10-12 lakhs from the Teachers’ Welfare Fund of Barkatullah University to raise emergency medical resources for faculty members.
“An amount of 4% is deducted from the bill of teachers engaged in valuation of answer sheets of the university. The amount is deposited in the Teachers’ Welfare Fund,” said guest scholar Devendra Pratap Singh.
The fund is meant for the welfare of the teachers, including guest faculty. Barkatullah University collects around Rs 25-30 lakhs per year. It has about Rs 3 crore in its Teachers’ Welfare Fund.
“There’s a dearth of medical resources—such as ambulance and oxygen—because of the pandemic. Several guest scholars are struggling for life in the absence of oxygen and ambulance. I want to buy an ambulance, 5 oxygen concentrators and 20 oxygen cylinders that will be exclusively used to help the faculty members,” said Singh.
Singh said that he was ready to bear other expenses, such as salary of driver or that incurred for petrol for the ambulance. “I’ll take help from NGOs and will bear the expenses personally,” he added.
“The university should come forward to help the members of the faculty at this crucial time, or else stop deduction of money from the teachers’ evaluation bills. If the university officials are unable to do that, they can give the amount to me as loan and I’ll pay them back in instalments,” added Singh.
The guest scholars who are afflicted with corona are facing more difficulties. The rates of all the facilities have increased and their salaries are peanuts in dealing with an emergency situation.
University registrar HS Tripathi acknowledged that he had received the application and had forwarded to the authorities concerned.
‘Dearth of resources’
“There’s a dearth of medical resources, such as ambulance and oxygen, because of the pandemic. Several guest scholars are struggling for life in the absence of oxygen and ambulance. I want to buy an ambulance, 5 oxygen concentrators and 20 oxygen cylinders that will be exclusively used to help the faculty members,” said Devendra Pratap Singh, guest scholar.
