Sindri: The directorate of technology management of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has directed all the directors and heads of different CSIR laboratories to put distribution of honorarium among staff under any project on hold with immediate effect.
This development came after an RTI activist and BJP leader Ramesh Rahi raised objections over honorarium worth crores of rupees being paid to the scientists working in Dhanbad-based Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) over and above the salary they are entitled to.
Complying with the directives, the management of CIMFR has asked all the scientists receiving the honorarium to refund it with immediate effect.
According to reports, CIMFR has distributed Rs 17.89 crore as honorarium to the scientists providing technical services and consultancy on different projects from 2016 to 2021.
Rahi has alleged that a lion’s share of the honorarium has been cornered by the institute director himself and a group of scientists close to him.
The BJP leader in his complaint sent to the ministry of science and technology and the PMO has raised questions over the distribution of honorarium to scientists for providing consultancy services saying that they are being paid salary and other perks for the same job and has demanded a high-level inquiry into the alleged financial irregularity.
When contacted, CIMFR director P K Singh refuted the allegation of any financial irregularity and said that the honorarium was paid to 553 scientists of the institute rendering their services to different projects as per the 2017 guidelines of the CSIR and the practice of paying technological royalty is prevalent all over the nation including in different IITs and IISc since long.
“Since the CSIR is revising its guidelines which are to be notified shortly, we have been directed to put honorariums on hold.
Ths is being blown out of proportion by some dissatisfied elements,” Singh added.