IMPHAL, March 16: Education Minister, M Okendro, is hopeful college classes will resume from tomorrow. If this does not happen, he is still hopeful a settlement with the agitating college lecturers under AMCTA will be reached at the soonest.
Taking on a tougher posture, the Okendro said if the teachers continue to strike despite the government`™s earnest initiative to reach a settlement, the government may be forced to invoke the CSS conduct rule 1964, of no work no pay.
The government may also decide on stronger action against the strikers as per rule, and may begin hiring fresh teachers to run classes so as to safeguard the students`™ careers.
The Education Minister made this statement in reply to a question raised by Opposition MLA Kh Joykisan who said it was a matter of grave public interest that the cease-work strike called by the All Manipur College Teachers Association in all the government colleges of Manipur is leaving students in an unenviable situation without classes.
Okendro said that the issue is burning and the government is not a silent spectator.
He said the Education Department is improving a lot in compare with past years. The annual plan budget for education is increasing year by year to improve the quality of education. He said in 2012-13 the annual budget was Rs. 13 crores only, in 2013-14 it increase to Rs. 14 crores and for the years 2014-15 it again increased to Rs. 25 crores.
The department follows the UGC regulation of 2010 and its guidelines for recruiting the best lectures. He said even discussions were held with the lecturers themselves on the matter of their demands.
He said the teachers association raised too many varying demands causing confusion to the government. The Director Education has invited the representatives of the striking teachers several times to his office chamber to discuss the matter, but the AMCTA has been failing to turn up so far.
We have also taken up the matter of setting up a State University and a Private University for the betterment of higher education in the State.
MLA Kh Joykisan alleged government for not doing enough to ensure classes resume or to settle the difference between teachers and government.
He further said that the educational careers of students should not be exploited by anyone especially because exams are drawing very close.