No sitting fee for officials nominated to education institutions: HRD

New Delhi, Feb 10: Noting that many higher educational institutions were giving "sitting fee" to government officials nominated to their governing bodies, the HRD ministry has sought an end to this practice.

In an office memorandum, the HRD ministry said it had observed that many institutions under the government follow a practice of giving sitting fee allowance to officials of the Ministry or attached institutions who are nominated as government representatives in their Boards of Governors, Executive Councils or Finance Committees etc.

Since the nominated officers are attending these meetings "only in their official capacity" as Government nominee, it may not be appropriate to receive sitting fee for doing routine official work, the memorandum issued by HRD ministry said.

It added that all higher educational institutions should be instructed "not to pay any such sitting fee to such government servants".

The ministry has also made it clear that in cases where government nominees attend meetings in private institutions like deemed Universities, these bodies should remit the sitting fee amount in the Consolidated Fund of India.

PTI