Odishatv Bureau

Bhubaneswar: Total 121 college lecturers in Odisha took salary fraudulently at the pay scale decided by University Grants Commission (UGC), said CAG in its report.

104 lecturers from govt-aided colleges and 17 from private institutions have been drawing salaries despite not having the requisite qualification, the report added.

Even some of them have either manipulated their certificates or have not done PhD, MPhil or any refresher course as needed for a lecturer to get the UGC pay scale.

The report cited that some lecturers did not have 55% aggregate mark in Master’s Degree.

“We are examining the matter and have asked for a detailed report from the Director. We will also verify the records of those lecturers at colleges. Strong action will be taken if they are found to be guilty,” Durga prasad Behera, Additional Secretary, Higher Education.

Interestingly, the report mentioned that teaching staff also took salary at the UGC pay scale initially citing wrong information and did refresher course afterwards.

“If anybody has done this knowingly we would not spare him. Undoubtedly we will recover money and initiate criminal proceedings against them,” said Badrinarayan Patra, Higher Education Minister.

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