‘Recover ad hoc bonus from university staff’

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked all central universities to recover non-productivity linked bonus for the past two financial years if paid to employees. It has also asked them to make any bonus-related payment, if not already paid, as the central government is yet to take a call on it.

The commission has sent a letter to the registrar of all central universities.

“If the university has already paid the bonus to their employees for the year 2015-16 and 2016-17, it may make the recoveries from the concerned employees,” reads the letter issued by the UGC.

The letter further asks universities not to make “the payment of bonus to employees of your university till it is extended by the government of India for the autonomous bodies”. The letter said that the government has not extended the non-productivity linked bonus (ad hoc bonus) to employees of autonomous bodies. The letter was sent to all central universities on October 18.

A member of the DU Academic Council said, “These bonuses are especially beneficial for the non-teaching staff, whose basic pay may not be that high to begin with. These bonuses come as a boon for them during the festive season. Many of them use it to buy winter clothes for their kids and other basic needs.”

The member also said that the university would not be able to defy a direct order from the government.