Odisha College Lecturers Face Salary Crisis Over HIMS Portal Compliance Issues
Lecturers appointed through the State Selection Board (SSB) and employed in non-government aided colleges across Odisha are grappling with a severe salary crisis. Payments have been consistently delayed and, in some instances, withheld entirely since December of last year. This disruption has created significant financial hardship for thousands of academic professionals and their families.
Widespread Impact on Academic Staff
According to affected staff members, nearly 10,000 employees of aided colleges, including approximately 7,500 lecturers and readers, have been impacted by these payment delays. The lecturers report that salaries have only been credited after the 20th of each month since December, a clear violation of government norms that mandate payment by the last working day of the month. As of now, the March salary remains unreleased, exacerbating the financial strain.
The root cause of this issue appears to be linked to compliance with the Higher Education Information and Management System (HIMS) portal. Lecturers allege that officials have cited non-submission of college-related data on this digital platform as the primary reason for withholding salaries.
Lecturers Voice Their Objections
"We are required to upload college-related data on the HIMS portal as directed by the higher education department. When we raised concerns about salary delays, officials cited non-submission of data by some colleges as the reason," explained Gourav Sharma, one of the affected lecturers.
The academic staff has strongly objected to linking salary disbursal with these non-academic responsibilities. They argue that accountability for data entry lapses should rest with college principals or administrative authorities, not with all teaching staff members.
"If there are lapses in data entry or compliance, accountability should lie with the principals or authorities concerned, not with all staff members. Delaying or withholding salaries for such reasons is unjust and has placed thousands of families under financial stress," said another lecturer, Tulasi Rout, highlighting the human impact of this administrative decision.
Government Response and Official Stance
A delegation of lecturers met with Chief Secretary Anu Garg on Monday, seeking urgent intervention to resolve this pressing issue. She assured them that the matter would be thoroughly investigated and addressed promptly.
In response to these concerns, Higher Education Commissioner-cum-Secretary Aravind Agarwal clarified the government's position. He stated that salary release is indeed linked to institutional performance metrics, particularly regarding the HIMS portal implementation.
Agarwal explained that the HIMS portal, introduced approximately a year ago, serves as an integrated digital platform designed to streamline academic, administrative, and student-related services. This includes admissions processes and staff management functions across Odisha's higher education institutions.
"All colleges are required to upload their data within a stipulated timeline for full implementation of HIMS modules. Delays by some institutions are affecting the process, which in turn is leading to salary delays," Agarwal stated, outlining the administrative perspective on this complex issue.
Calls for Policy Change and Immediate Relief
The affected lecturers have urgently appealed to the government to delink salary payments from pending administrative tasks related to the HIMS portal. They emphasize the need for a clear separation between academic responsibilities and administrative compliance requirements.
Furthermore, they are demanding immediate action to ensure timely salary disbursal moving forward, regardless of portal compliance status. This situation highlights the tension between digital transformation initiatives in education and their practical implementation challenges, particularly when they directly impact the livelihoods of teaching professionals.
The ongoing salary crisis in Odisha's aided colleges underscores broader issues in higher education administration and the need for balanced policies that protect both institutional efficiency and employee welfare.
