Bangalore, August 24: The Karnataka Government today directed private aided engineering and polytechnic colleges to pay salaries through ECS (Electronic Clearing System) with effect from this October, following complaints of non-payment of salaries on time and diversion of grants.
The managements of 11 engineering colleges and 40 polytechnics agreed to implement the government directive at a meeting convened here by Minister for Higher Education Aravind Limbavali.
Limbavali later told reporters that the measure would benefit about 5,000 staff of these institutions. “Problems that have been eluding a solution in the last 43 years has been solved today,” he said.
Eighty-five per cent of the cost of salaries under the grant-in-aid code is borne by the government and the remaining 15 per cent by the managements, he said.
Limbavali said the government has decided to revise the grant-in-aid code which remained unrevised since 1964 and bring in the system of extending grants on “admitted salary” concept, instead of the approved list, as is the practice now.
Managements were hitherto submitting their expenditure statement on salaries and other heads to get grants, he said.
The unaided private engineering colleges coming under the umbrella of Consortium of Medical, Dental and Engineering colleges in Karnataka (COMED-K) have requested the state’s help in allotting about 7,000 seats that remained unfilled this year, Limbavali said.
—Agencies