NIT Durgapur has asked students to pay the hostel establishment charge, so the mess workers get their wages in time amid the Covid pandemic.

A notice signed by the dean of students’ welfare, Biswajit Halder, says: “A timely payment of the charge (Rs 1,200) is a primary social responsibility too under this situation of crisis due to COVID-19.”

In the last academic season, the notice says, a significant number of students did not pay the hostel establishment charge — Rs 1,200 for each semester — and the institute had to pay the private mess workers from its reserve.

If the payment is not made on time in this academic session, “the process of semester registration will remain incomplete”, the institute has warned.

There are 50-odd mess workers engaged by students as cooks and maintenance staff. They get a monthly remuneration of Rs 9,500 on average, which is paid by students as hostel establishment charge.

“The establishment charge is paid at the beginning of each semester. Last year, the students had left the campus in March, following the outbreak of Covid. They have since been attending online classes from home. A significant number of them did not pay the hostel establishment charge of the semester that began in July,” an official of the institute said.

“We have told students that they have to pay the amount, considering the financial constraints amid the pandemic being encountered by those who have served food and rendered other services. This is a social responsibility,” NIT director Anupam Basu said.

The institute can no longer pay the workers from its reserve because the fund has been exhausted, officials said.

“During the last academic year 2020-21 it has been observed that a significant number of students defaulted (still there are defaulters) to pay the hostel establishment charge of Rs.1200/- per semester, though the majority of the students paid on time,” says the notice.

The institute had last year reduced the hostel fee of Rs 7,300 to Rs 2,800 and the other fees from Rs 5,300 to Rs 2,850 keeping in mind the hardship faced by students and their families because of the pandemic.

“Last year, they were allowed to pay the tuition fee in installments. But students must realise they have some obligation during these trying times to those they engaged. Registration will be held up (if they do not pay the hostel establishment fee),” Basu said.

An official of the institute said it was not possible for the mess workers to switch to other jobs because of the grim economic situation. “The workers have families…. We are continuing with the reduced fee structure and our own earnings have depleted. Whatever we earn, goes into maintenance,” the official said.