The Maharshi Dayanand University Teachers’ Association (MDUTA) has served a legal notice on the university administration over long-pending financial grievances affecting around 80 teachers. According to the association the issues include delayed pay fixation after promotions under the Career Advancement Scheme, stoppage of annual increments, and recovery of Ph D increments that were granted 8–10 years ago.Possible steps include wearing black badges in protest and organising other peaceful democratic programmes. (HT FILE)MDUTA president Pradeep Kumar Gehlot said the legal notice has been sent to the vice-chancellor, registrar, joint director (audit), assistant registrar (establishment branch) and other concerned officers. The association had repeatedly raised these matters both verbally and in writing, but received no satisfactory action, forcing it to take the legal route to protect teachers’ legitimate rights.They alleged that many teachers promoted to associate professor and professor posts over the past three years have still not received pay fixation in their higher ranks. They are also being denied consequential benefits such as dearness allowance, house rent allowance, NPS contributions and other admissible allowances. The association has demanded that pay fixation be completed without further delay and all due financial benefits be released.The university has also stopped annual increments of several teachers. MDUTA argues that withholding increments cannot be treated as a routine or punitive measure and can only be done through proper disciplinary proceedings under service rules. It has demanded that the stopped increments be restored immediately.In addition, the teachers’ body has strongly opposed the recovery of Ph D increments granted nearly 8–10 years ago after due approval by competent authorities. It has sought an immediate stay on these recoveries, citing Haryana government directives and principles laid down by the Punjab and Haryana high court and the Supreme Court (SC), which generally bar recovery of financial benefits older than five years.Gehlot emphasised that the association has always preferred dialogue and democratic methods. “Our aim is not to escalate confrontation but to secure the statutory and service-related rights of teachers,” he said. He added that the matter should be reviewed in a legally sound manner in light of government instructions and judicial pronouncements.If the university administration fails to resolve the issues promptly, MDUTA will convene a general body meeting to decide the next course of action. Possible steps include wearing black badges in protest and organising other peaceful democratic programmes.Meanwhile, the MDU spokesperson said the matter concerning enhanced pay and related benefits for assistant professors and associate professors promoted three years ago is under examination. “We are looking into the reasons for the delay and taking up the matter on priority to ensure that this long-pending issue is resolved at the earliest,” the spokesperson said, adding that the present administration is looking into the reasons for the hold up.