College, varsity teachers stage dharna over pending demands in Amritsar

Amritsar, July 5

Members of the Association of United College Teachers (AUCT), Punjab and Chandigarh units, started a 24-hour day and night dharna against the GNDU Vice-Chancellor in front of the administrative block here on Friday.

Teachers from several colleges affiliated to Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar; Panjab University, Chandigarh; and Punjabi University, Patiala, joined the dharna as they demanded wage hikes and retirement benefits. The president of the organisation, Dr Parminder Kaur, and general secretary Prof Jaspal Singh said Vice-Chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh and DCDC Dr Saroj have completely failed in discharging their primary duties as a result of which teachers of many colleges have not received their full salary as per the 6th pay panel. A year and nine months have passed since the implementation of the 7th pay scale by the state government.

Prof Tarun Ghai, spokesperson for the AUCT, while addressing the dharna shared that they have had several meetings with the Vice-Chancellor on the issue of the teachers being exploited by private college managements, but the VC has failed to resolve the matter. “It has compelled the association to hold a protest,” he said.

The AUCT members are demanding that the salaries of the college teachers be raised as per the 7th pay commission; the retired teachers should be paid gratuity of Rs 20 lakh and leave encashment, and the PF of teachers of all colleges should be deducted as per the universities calendar, i.e. basic 10% of DA.

Dr Parminder Kaur insisted if the university strictly implements its calendar in its affiliating colleges, economic exploitation of the teachers can surely be curbed.