Faculty members of Gulbarga University staged a protest outside the university administrative building here on Thursday to oppose the withdrawal of notional increments given to them during their promotion.
The agitators said that the university withdrew the increments of 34 teaching staff after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India objected to it and started deducted money from their salaries to recover increments already given.
“Other universities in the State have not withdrawn notional increment given to their teaching staff. However, Gulbarga University is, instead of convincing the government and Auditor General, deducting up to ₹40,000 from our salaries to recover increments already given,” secretary of Postgraduate Teachers Association Ramesh Landonkar said during the protest.
He said that the university is an autonomous institution and it has all the rights to continue notional increments given to its teaching staff.
“The university could have easily convinced the auditing authorities and the government. However, it opted to withdraw the increments just to harass the teaching staff. The action is intentional,” he said.
President of the association G. Sriramulu said that additional increment was given to the teaching faculty of universities and the lecturers of all degree colleges and the withdrawal of the increment is unjustifiable.
H.T. Pote, a professor, said that the university did not have any right to withdraw increment already paid without the consent of the beneficiary.
Faculty members J.C. Umapathi, Prathima Mathad, K. Siddappa, P.M. Hanagodimath, Anand Soundane, G.M. Vidyasagar, K. Lingappa, B.R. Herur, B. Sannakki and others were present.
