After 7 colleges, Maharashtra adds 25 more Sinhgad institutes under administration amid salary payment row

The Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) has taken control of 25 institutes run by the Sinhgad Technical Education Society (STES) and appointed the joint director of technical education, Pune, as their administrator. The move will address the concerns of teaching and non-teaching staff who have been waiting for their salaries and arrears for a prolonged period.

An order issued by Pramod Naik, in-charge DTE director, made the takeover effective immediately. It also directed the society to transfer the administration of the institutions to the appointed officer.

The action followed a separate intervention by the Directorate of Higher Education (DHE), which took over seven permanently unaided colleges operated by STES. Earlier, the higher education director placed these colleges under government management for three years and appointed an administrator for seven Sinhgad colleges .

Both decisions came after the Bombay High Court started the scrutiny of the society over alleged prolonged salary defaults and their impact on employees and students.

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Bombay HC orders probe into 44 Sinhgad institutes

On November 10, the Bombay High Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax authorities to investigate the affairs of 44 institutions run by STES. It also restrained the society's trustees from dealing with the movable and immovable properties of the institutes while the investigation is underway.

The DTE order noted that STES management had assured employee representatives during meetings at Mantralaya on September 22 and October 14 that all pending salaries and arrears would be cleared within a month, but this was not fulfilled.

DTE also referred to complaints from students about disruptions in academic activities. Naik said salary-related grievances received by the directorate had earlier been forwarded to Savitribai Phule Pune University for redressal, as service conditions and salary matters fell within the university's jurisdiction.

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Staff seek immediate clearance of pending salaries

The DHE order cited repeated non-compliance with directions to clear salaries and retirement benefits. It also referred to at least 13 employees who died by suicide amid financial distress linked to prolonged salary delays.

Following the High Court's directions, both directorates have intervened in the management of STES institutions. However, employees have stressed that the takeover must lead to the immediate release of their pending salaries and dues, as many continue to face financial hardship.