Patna: In a major relief to teaching, non-teaching staff and pensioners, the Patna High Court stayed the state education department’s order to freeze the bank accounts of all state universities of Bihar.
The bench of Justice Anjani Kumar Sharan gave this order while hearing a bunch of petitions filed by the staff of Magadh University and other state varsities. The order, many say, will clear the decks payment of salary to staff and pension to retired ones, due for many months.
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The court also made it clear that “no coercive actions shall be taken against the universities and their officials till further orders”. It said that it wanted to resolve the impasse amicably and restore normalcy in the universities.
“In course of arguments, advocate general and additional solicitor general jointly proposed that a meeting of all the VCs along with registrars, exam controllers and financial advisors, and officials of the department of education, government of Bihar, including the additional chief secretary, may take place at a neutral venue on May 6 at Maurya Hotel, Patna, and the expenses of the meeting will be borne by the state government. It is a goodwill gesture to resolve the disputes amicably,” said the judge.
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As per the order, nobody would preside over the meeting. “It is expected that if chief secretary of Bihar remains free on that day, he may preside over the aforesaid meeting. In case he cannot find time, the meeting would take place and all the issues would be discussed in a proper manner. Entire proceedings of the meeting would be video-graphed,” said the order.
However, entire proceedings of the meeting will be video-graphed. The latest high court order is considered a blow for Pathak.
What is the issue?
In fact, a few months ago, Pathak had frozen the bank accounts of the universities on the charges of defying the government orders. All types of bank operations including emergency withdrawals were suspended. The universities were not able to pay salaries of all the employees. Pathak ordered for suspension of bank accounts of all universities after their vice chancellors and other top functionaries did not turn up for the meeting convened by the education department.
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VCs and examination controllers declined attending the meeting on the advice of the governor, who is also the chancellor of universities. Emboldened by the Rajbhawan’s support, VCs skipped the education department’s meeting for the six consecutive times, after which the education department had ordered for freezing of the bank accounts.
“It is also expected that the universities will now make payment of all the retiral dues, release salary of serving employees and proceed ahead with examination schedule so that academic sessions are maintained and regularized and the interests of the students at large do not suffer,” the court said.
