PCCTU rejects government plea

Meanwhile, the International Human Rights Organisation (IHRO) has urged Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to advise Union Minister of Human Resource Development M.M. Joshi to implement the scheme of pay-scales and service conditions as recommended by the UGC without any further delay.

In a letter to Vajpayee, IHRO chairperson D.S. Gill has said that over 90 lakh students were suffering on account of the teachers’ indefinite strike. Holding Joshi guilty of the present impasse, Gill alleged that he had made no serious attempt to resolve the crisis.

Patiala: The Punjabi University Teachers Association (PUTA) today took serious notice of the announcement made by the president and general secretary of AIFUCTO of withdrawing the strike if arrears were paid in cash with effect from January 1, 1996 and other demands relating to college teachers were accepted, according to a press release issued here today by the association.

Prof S.S. Nanda and Dr Jaswinder Singh, PUTA president and secretary, respectively, warned the AIFUCTO leadership not to repeat the 1986 episode, when the basic interests of university teachers were harmed at the negotiating table, when the teachers’ agitation was at its peak. They said that the AIFUCTO leadership should not try to serve the sectional interests of college teachers only at the cost of university teachers.

University teachers are demanding UGC pay-scales, quota-free eight years merit promotion scheme for all lecturers and readers, implementation of scales from January 1, 1996 only and not from any other later date and necessary research facilities.

PUTA has decided to join the federation of central universities teachers associations demonstration at Delhi tomorrow. Meanwhile, PUTA relay fast entered 23rd day today.