The state higher education department has decided to write to Calcutta University seeking to know whether the varsity has implemented the career advancement scheme for the teachers in violation of a state government Act.

The move comes days after a similar communication was sent to Jadavpur University, following which JU was forced to suspend a process initiated to give promotions.

A department official said they would seek to know from CU whether any promotion was granted violating Section 3(1) of the West Bengal Universities (Control of Expenditure) Act, 1976.

The Act says no state-aided university will increase the pay or allowances attached to any post without the prior permission of the government.

CU implemented the promotion scheme for teachers early this month.

“Since it has been brought to our notice that Calcutta University has offered promotions to its teachers, we have decided to send a communication to the university,” said the official.

JU teachers on Wednesday wrote to the department saying that it prevented the university from implementing promotions even though some other universities were giving promotions.

“In an advisory that was issued to all the state-aided universities on April 1, we had asked the universities not to process the promotion scheme in violation of the Act. Still, Calcutta University has implemented the scheme,” the official said.

In the April 1 advisory, the department had asked universities to “abstain from violating provisions” of a state government act by “extending CAS (career advancement scheme) benefit”.

After the advisory, CU sought legal opinion on whether it could continue with the promotion scheme. It has so far given promotions to 20 teachers.

“We acted following legal opinion,” CU registrar Debasis Das told The Telegraph.

The universities were told not to offer promotions because the model code of conduct is in force.