Nearly 7,000 teachers are up in arms against the state governments discriminatory attitude regarding implementation of recommendations in the Sixth Pay Commission despite several assurances. All teachers,under the aegis of the Gujarat State Federation of University and College Teachers Association (GSFUCTA),have passed a resolution urging the government to take immediate steps within August 5. If nothing happens by then,the association will meet on August 6 and decide the future course of action, said Prof K S Shastri,the president of GSFUCTA. He added,We have also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister and the state education minister to this effect last week. Explaining the discriminatory attitude of the state,Shastri said: While government employees,panchayat employees,school teachers,municipal corporation employees,and administrative employees of various universities have got a pay hike,it is only the teachers of various state-run universities and colleges who have been left out. He added: The Centre had issued a notification in this regard on December 31,2008 and the University Grants Commission (UGC) had also directed the state government to go for the pay hike on February 28,2009. After this,we have made five representations to the state government between February and July,but we havent received any response to these. D S Solanki,secretary of another teachers association,said: As per the notification by the Centre,the UGC will be sharing 80 per cent of the additional financial burden due to the pay-hike of the teachers in the form of grants. It is difficult to understand why the state government is delaying the hikes even after such assurances.
