Patna: More than 14,000 teachers, guest lecturers, and staff from 13 universities in Bihar, who have not been paid since July, will finally receive their salaries before Diwali. The Education Department had withheld payments from July to September due to the universities’ failure to upload essential staff information, including the number of employees and pensioners, on the payroll management portal. This delay led to the freezing of salary disbursements until the required data was submitted.
Following concerns raised by teachers’ unions, the Education Department has now released the withheld salaries. The department has allocated a total of Rs 557.30 crore, with Rs 416.62 crore earmarked for permanent staff and Rs 140.68 crore for guest teachers. Lalit Narayan Mithila University received the largest share of Rs 90 crore, with Rs 50.63 crore for permanent teachers and Rs 39.44 crore for guest faculty.
Although there was a delay in updating the payroll portal, the universities have been granted relief for the 2024-25 fiscal year, ensuring more timely salary payments moving forward. Patna University has been allocated Rs 44.15 crore, while Maulana Mazharul Haq Arabic and Persian University received the smallest allocation, Rs 2.50 crore.
