The country’s top pharmacy education regulator’s warning to pharma educational institutions against cutting salary and terminating faculty during the Covid-19 pandemic seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has now shot off the third missive in a row to the institutions/colleges stating that stern action would be taken against them for not sticking to its orders.

In the third circular issued on August 24, the PCI wanted the college management to stick to its instructions failing which it warned of action against such institutions.

Also, to ensure that the advisory is implemented at the ground level, the PCI has sought details on statements about salary payments to the council every month. “Copy of pay-rolls and salary slips from January 2020 should be sent to the Council and such data should be shared with the Council in future also. The institutions should also post the details on their websites,” said the circular.

The PCI had issued circulars on April 20 and then on July 9 this year, insisting on regular payments of salaries to the teaching faculties of its affiliated institutions across the country.

The move followed several complaints from teachers posted in the pharmacy colleges from all across the country.

“The Council has now found that despite its directions to institutions many of the college managements are not complying with its orders.

“Besides there are orders from central and State Governments to all educational institutions that the salary of teachers must be disbursed every month and it should not be cut or withheld till normalcy is restored in the education sector,” the Council has reminded the colleges.

The PCI has further noticed that certain institutions have terminated some of their teachers and the council has taken the issue very seriously.

“Action will be taken if the institutions do not pay heed to even the advisory,” said the sources.