Badal’s assurance to varsity teachers redress teachers’ prob

PATIALA, Dec 13: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has assured the university teachers that the state government would take steps for the speedy reddressal of the issues concerning the Punjabi University teachers.This assurance had been given to a deputation of Punjabi University teachers which had a meeting yesterday with the Chief Minister. The deputation headed by secretary of Punjabi University Teachers Association Dr N.S. Atri urged the Chief Minister to accept the demands of the teachers.

According to Atri, the issue of 95 ad hoc teachers who had been served notice by Punjabi University for termination of their services in the mid session on December 31 when the teaching work is at its peak was brought to the notice of the Chief Minister. Deputationists apprised the Chief Minister that the blanket ban on recruitment, promotion and extension of the teachers in the university has adversely affected the cause of 35 ad hoc teachers who are likely to be on roads on the eve of new year if the ban was not lifted and their services are not extended beyond December 31. It was requested that their cases be processed for regularisation. The Chief Minister has assured to take up the matter with the Vice Chancellor, Punjabi University, for sympathetic consideration.

The Chief Minister was also requested for speedy implementation of long over-due new pay scales for the university and college teachers and release of regular salary for the strike period as the provisional release has created problems of non-release of retirement benefits and annual increments, he added.

He further stated that the problem of existing disparity between merit promotees and direct recruitee teachers was also brought to the notice of the Chief Minister. A request was made for amendment of the Punjabi University Act in the state assembly wherein the teachers promoted in merit promotion scheme and carrier advancement scheme should be treated as addition to the cadre and seniority in such cases be decided on the basis of length of service in the respective cadre.