Employment regulations mandate the establishment of a Grievance Redressal Committee with proper representation to address faculty concerns and protect against unlawful salary deductions.

ORDER :

ASHOK S. KINAGI, J.

1. The petitioners have filed this writ petition seeking following reliefs:

(i) To direct the respondent college and the affiliating University i.e. VTU to constitute Grievance Redressal Committee at the Institutional Level and at the University Level in accordance with the Regulations framed by AICTE published in the Official Gazette on 22.03.2021 and Regulations namely All India Council for Technical Education (Redressal of Grievance of Faculty/Stall Members) Regulations of 2021 (Annexure-H);

(ii) Direct the respondents to consider the payment of full salary to the petitioners including the deductions and the denial of salary is contrary to the notification dated 22.01.2010 (Annexure-D) and 01.03.2019 (Annexure-E) as approved by the state Government in its Government Order dated 24.03.2020 (Annexure-F) and direct the college authorities to make good and to pay the full salary as directed by the All India Council for Technical Education.

(iii) Direct the college authorities to pay the salary which has been denied and salary which has been illegally deducted along with 12 percent interest as per (Annexure-R) or as deemed fit by this Hon’ble Court.

(iv) Declare that all the universities and institutions including respondents imparting technical education should pay the salary to its teaching staffs and other academic staffs in terms of the AICTE regulations dated 22.01.2010 and 01.03.2019,( Annexure-D) and (Annexure-E).

(v) Direct the VTU to see that each one of the affiliated engineering colleges or polytechnic colleges should comply to constitute Grievance Redressal Committee at the institutional level and to comply the Regulations of 2021 notified on 22.03.2021 namely All-India Council for Technical Education (Redressal of Grievance of Faculty/Staff Members) Regulations of 2021 (Annexure-H).”

2. Brief facts leading rise to the filing of this petition are as follows:

3. The petitioners were appointed on permanent basis in the respondent-Institution on All India Council for Technical Education ("AICTE") pay scale during 2002 to 2012. On 22.01.2010, AICTE has framed Regulations pertaining to Pay Scales, Service Conditions and Qualifications for the Teachers and Other Academic Staff in Technical Institutions (Degree) Regulations, 2010 and on 01.03.2019, framed AICTE Regulations on Pay Scales, Service Conditions and Minimum Qualification for the Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff, such as Library, Physical Education and Training and Placement of Personnel in Technical Institutions and Measures for the Management of Standards in technical Education (Degree) Regulations, 2019.

4. The respondents deducted the salary of the petitioners without assigning the reason and without serving the notice to the petitioners, contrary to the Regulations framed by the AICTE. The petitioners submitted their representations to the respondents. It is also contended that the Redressal Committee constituted by the respondents is not in accordance with Regulation No.4 of All India Council for Technical Education (Redressal of Grievance of Faculty/staff member) Regulations, 2021. Hence, this petition.

5. Heard Sri.V.Lakshminarayana, learned Senior Counsel for the petitioners and the learned counsel for respondent Nos.5 and 6.

6. Learned Senior Counsel submits that the Redressal Grievance Committee constituted by respondent Nos.5 and 6 is not in accordance with the AICTE Regulations, 2021. He submits that a direction be issued to respondent Nos.5 and 6 to constitute a Redressal Grievance Committee in terms of Regulation 4 of AICTE Regulations, 2021 and further, liberty be reserved to the petitioners to approach th