LUCKNOW : Uttar Pradesh government has initiated the process for the  payment of arrears to university and degree college teachers from January 1, 2006 in accordance with the Chadha Committee pay report.

The Department of Higher Education has written to the Directorate of Higher Education Allahabad and all the state universities seeking the details of faculty posts in 12 state universities and 460-odd government and government-aided colleges.

When contacted on February 3 the teachers welcomed the move but said that they will withdraw agitation only after issuance of the government order in this regard.

Sources said that the special secretary, higher education, V K Gupta has written to director, higher education and registrar of state universities to provide the details of the posts and the amount of salary expenditure, if the arrears are paid from January 1, 2006. The Chadha Pay Committee report approved by the University Grants Commission recommends revised pay scales for teachers in the higher education sector from January 1, 2006. Of total expenditure, Union government will foot 80% of the burden and the rest will be given by the state government. However, state government decided to implement the revised scales from December, 2008.

The government order came in force from March, 2009. The teachers were paid arrears of four months from December, 2008 to March, 2009. The total expenditure of arrears of four months was Rs 352 crore, of which Rs 282 crore was paid by the Union government and Rs 70 crore by the state government.

If the arrears are given to the teachers from January, 2006 to March, 2010, the total amount comes out to be 1,208 crore, of which Union government’s share is Rs 967 crore and state government’s is Rs 241 crore. If one deducts the four months of arrears already being paid, the financial burden would be around Rs 856 crore, of which Rs 685 crore will be paid by the Union government and Rs 171 crore by state government. However, before taking any final decision, the state higher education department has asked the higher education directorate, which governs the degree colleges, and the state universities to submit the details of teaching posts.

The government will verify whether the details of the posts submitted by the educational institutions are duly sanctioned or not. Thereafter, the proposal would be scrutinised by the finance and the law departments following which it would be placed in the state cabinet for the approval.

Dr Moulindu Mishra, President, Lucknow University Associated Colleges Teachers Association (LUACTA), met senior officers in the higher education department to press for the demands. Later, he said that the process has been initiated but teachers will withdraw their agitation only after government issues order for payment of all the arrears from January 1, 2006.