GHPS staff accuse DSGMC of holding back due arrear

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 21

Representatives of Guru Harkrishan Public School (GHPS) Staff Welfare Association’ representing the 12 schools run by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) today accused the Sikh body of “holding back” the arrears due to teaching and non-teaching staff as per the Sixth Pay Commission (SPC) revision.

In a strong rebuttal of the claims made by sitting president of DSGMC Manjit Singh GK that all arrears and dues have been paid to the GHPS staff as mandated by the SPC, they alleged that in the payment to1350 staff who are told to have accepted the “40 per cent arrears” as calculated by DSGMC the “interest and mandatory component Transport Allowance (TA) are missing”.

The committee and school managements have been accused of vindictiveness to teachers and other staff allegations which though denied by DSGMC are surely going to mar the February 26 poll prospects of the Badal camp.

In the matter, the GHPS Staff Welfare Association also decried the “centralisation of bank account (00131000915431)” for collecting fees and a centralised system of disbursing salaries to all staff of schools contrary to Delhi School Education Act, 1973.

Also, the association had approached Education Minister Manish Sisodia for intervention, said Jaswant Kaur, general secretary of GHPS Staff Welfare Association.

“DSEAR categorically bans the collection of fees by any Trust or any management body. Schools are independent entities. We had approached the Education Minister seeking decentralisation of the system but no notices have been issued till date,” she said.

“The staff who were forced to accept the dues decided by DSGMC received 40 per cent, including basic pay, grade pay and accordingly calculated House Rent Allowance. We still have not received 40-50 per cent of the arrears due and the committee has falsely declared that it has paid all pending dues,” GHPS spokesperson Rajni Naik, who was transferred from GHPS, Vasant Vihar to GHPS Punjabi Bagh branch in the mid-session.

Kaur added, “The DSGMC leaders are misleading. Many a times they have stated that they had implemented the 6th Pay Commission in letter and spirit and have released all the arrears to all the employees of GHPS, but the fact is they have denied us our rightful pay and held back our dues.”