Teaching and non-teaching staff in aided colleges in Haryana have long been demanding the release of pending House Rent Allowance (HRA), but the situation remains unchanged. In response, the Directorate of Higher Education (DHE), Haryana, recently wrote a letter to aided colleges seeking information about idle assets such as playgrounds, gymnasium halls, unutilized vacant land, libraries, seminar halls, and auditoriums available with government-aided colleges. The letter emphasized the need to utilize these assets for effective revenue generation and better outcomes for the human development index of young students. The DHE suggested engaging consultants or agencies with expertise in this field to optimize revenue generation.
Regarding the HRA demand, the DHE mentioned that a consent letter should be provided by the authorized signatory/management of all government-aided private colleges, expressing readiness to bear an additional financial liability (5%) due to HRA revisions. The Education Department urged colleges to share complete details of their available resources with the DHE, encouraging them to maximize revenue generation.
Teachers in aided colleges believe that the Education Department is deliberately delaying the release of their pending HRA. A meeting of Teachers Association officials to address this matter was scheduled for December 11.
Amidst this ongoing scenario, teachers remain hopeful that the government will approve the release of their HRA. The issue has been pending since January 1, 2016, under the Sixth Pay Commission, and teachers argue that the aforementioned resources are meant for students. They express concerns that if these resources are reserved for revenue generation, students and athletes may face difficulties in conducting sports activities.
Dr. Dayanand Malik, the President of the Teachers Association, emphasized the need for the government to release teachers’ HRA without further delay. He argued that reserving facilities for revenue generation would hinder students and athletes from participating in relevant activities.
Notably, there are 97 aided colleges in the state, largely funded by the government. The information sought from 72 colleges indicates a request for an additional 5% HRA. The state government oversees 95% of the financial grant for these colleges, while management committees contribute the remaining 5%. However, a significant number of teaching positions are vacant, affecting students’ education. The hope is that these positions will be filled soon, addressing the staff crunch in government colleges.
