CM meets heads of 12 DU colleges

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday met with the heads of the 12 Delhi University colleges fully funded by the Delhi government amid widespread protests by teachers of the university over unpaid salaries, after which the CM said that the government was willing to release Rs 28.24 crore under salaries but will not do so any further unless directed by a court on whether the funds currently available can be used for salaries.

"Today is a new beginning. We also need dialogue to be initiated on behalf of the Delhi University authorities and the Vice-Chancellor of the DU to resolve several issues which are pending and are acting as a bone of contention," the CM said.

The Delhi government has decided to release the amount so that the teaching staff and the colleges do not suffer till the matter is in court. The government will invite the Vice-Chancellor on behalf of the Education Minister Manish Sisodia to have a dialogue with him on the pending issues and concerns.

The Education Minister said that the 12 colleges should have confidence in the state government, and should be 100 per cent Delhi government-funded colleges in letter and spirit. He reiterated that it is an unfair and impractical approach to have demand funds from one agency, but follow Pattern Of Assistance (POA) of some other agency. The Minister said that there should be 100 per cent transparency in their accounts and budgets which is required to bridge the gap between the Delhi government and Delhi University.

CM Kejriwal said that he is aware of the dissatisfaction of the teaching staff over the pending salaries and that it has emerged from "an unwarranted misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the intentions of the Delhi government".

"I want to clarify to all of the esteemed members present in this meeting, we are on the same side of the table. We do not oppose the pleas and concerns of the staff. Since the last few years, we have tried to initiate talks with the DU authorities and the VC, but there may have been differences, political and otherwise," he added. However, the CM's deputy pointed out, "Since the last five years, I have sanctioned funds to various colleges for various project proposals. We are ready to fully fund the colleges that come under our ambit, irrespective of the heads those funds come under."