The Comptroller and Auditor General has pulled up six Indian Institutes of Technology for the 'misinterpretation' of the orders on pay fixation resulting in overpayment of Rs 2.44 crore (Rs 24.4 million) to 479 assistant professors.

In its recent report, the CAG said the audit scrutiny showed that the IITs misinterpreted the stipulation for fixing the pay of assistant professors, who had not completed five years in the grade by January 1, 1996 or were appointed after January 1, 1996.

The pay had to be fixed initially in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Central Civil Services (Revised Pay) Rules 1997 and finally stepped up to the stage of Rs 14,940 on completion of five years.

However, the salary was first fixed at the stage of Rs 14,940 on a future date of completion of five years and then brought down notionally to find the pay at the current date.

This faulty method of pay fixation by IITs of Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Chennai and Mumbai resulted in undue benefit of Rs 2.44 crore to 479 Assistant Professors in their emoluments during 1996-2004, the report said.

The rules for pay fixation are prescribed by the government and the IITs have to abide by these rules and the Ministry had directed the Institutes to recover the amounts.

However, the directors of the institutes, in disregard of these instructions, decided not to effect the recovery. This resulted in the overpayment of Rs 2.44 crore remaining unrecovered, it said.

The report also pointed out 'irregular' payment of bonus by IITs of Delhi, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Mumbai, Chennai and Roorkee to 'ineligible' employees in contravention of the Government orders.

Audit ascertained in April last year said that IIT, Delhi's Board of Governors had approved, in March 2003, the payment of ad hoc bonus for 1999-2000 to 2002-03 to its employees in the pay scale of Rs 6,500-10,500 and Rs 7,500-12,000.

The approval accorded by the board of governors was in contravention of the government's order and resulted in irregular payment of bonus amounting to Rs 22.90 lakh (Rs 2.29 million) for 1999-2003.

Audit further revealed that similar irregular payments of bonus were made by IITs at Mumbai, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Chennai and Roorkee amount to Rs 17.52 lakh, Rs 9.14 lakh, Rs 19.01 lakh (Rs 1.901 million), Rs 10.82 lakh (Rs 1 1.082 million) and Rs 4.86 lakh (Rs 1 486,000), respectively, for 1999-2000 and 2002-03.

"Thus, there was total irregular payment of Rs 84.24 lakh (Rs 8.424 million) on this account," it said.