NEW DELHI : Delhi University (DU) on Friday issued a notice saying that staff (both teaching and non-teaching) who are yet to retire shall not be eligible to become members of the university’s health centre; instead, they would have to pay the applicable amount to their respective colleges to avail the facilities. The notification has invited much criticism from teachers who have termed this the university’s ‘extortion plan’.The DU notification stated, “Employees (teaching and non-teaching) of colleges shall avail all medical facilities from respective colleges only and shall not be connected with WUS Health Centre(s) of the university for medical facilities.”The notification also specified, “The WUS Health Centre shall not extend any medical facility to the college staff as referred to in the University rules. No employees of colleges shall be offered/extended membership of WUS Health Centre with effect from July 17, 2024.”The notification also stated that principals of colleges shall ensure that no hardship is faced by retired employees towards reimbursement. Commenting on the notice, Democratic Teachers’ Front secretary Abha Deb Habib said, “This circular means that many of the 4,000 newly recruited faculty in colleges cannot become members of the WUS, along with other employees who were yet to take membership. Membership should be left to the choice of employee. The circular makes it compulsory for employee to pay ‘fees’ to respective colleges. What medical benefits will colleges provide in such a subscription model. It seems like an extortion plan, with no facilities.”Employees upsetDU academic council member Mithuraj Dhusiya said, “Medical facilities for employees are very important. Rather than forcibly denying medical facilities to college employees from the WUS Health Centre, the choice should have been left to individual staff; employees who live on campus might want to avail medical benefits from WUS Health Centre”
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