Imphal, November 09 2017: All Manipur College Teachers’ Association (AMCTA) held its executive committee meeting on November 7 at Manipur College and discussed the details of the notification issued by Ministry of Human Resource Development on November 2 of last year for revision of pay for university and college teachers and equivalent cadres .
According to a press release of AMCTA, the meeting also discussed the long pending demands of the association in respect of release of SCA, TA etc entitled to college teachers and equivalent cadres and other issues pending with the Government of Manipur .
AMCTA urged the Central Government to review the notification since it has destroyed the past tradition of higher education of the country .
It is also very unfortunate that there is no tuning between the PIB statements issued on October 11, 2017 and the notification specially on funding.
There is clear cut contradictions between the two.
The official press statement issued by MHRD conveyed the cabinet decision to approve revised pay scales of teachers and equivalent academic staff in universities/colleges.
Shockingly, the MHRD notification on scheme of revision of pay of teachers contradicts crucial clauses of the cabinet decision, it said .
It may be mentioned that All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO), the apex body of university and college teachers of the country had already stated with utmost shock and dismay that this had belied the hopes and aspirations of lakhs of university and college teachers of the country, putting the sincerity and commitment of the Central Government to higher education into dock .
The reason for non-sharing of the report to the stake holders is now crystal clear as the hidden agenda stands exposed, the release said .
It reiterated that the teachers of universities and colleges of the country under the banner of AIFUCTO have been demanding the simultaneous and uniform implementation of 7th UGC pay scales .
Despite the demand and struggle on the issue, the Central Government callously and carelessly declared only 50 percent Central assistance to the States, that too, only for 39 months from January 1, 2016 to March 31, 2019.This is the real cooperative federalism of the present Central Government.
The shifting of the financial burden to the States is a well calculated design and conspiracy to deny the revised UGC pay scales to the majority of the university and college teachers who serve under State universities, AMCTA pointed out .
Many States may not implement the 7th UGC pay scales due to reduced Central assistance.
Again this is to divide the college teachers of the country as both AIFUCTO and Federation of Central Universities and College Teachers’ Association have shown historic solidarity and unity of the teachers in the struggle, it continued .
Strongly condemning the Government’s decision, AMCTA demanded 100 percent assistance be given to the States for uniform implementation of the revised UGC pay scales in the country in the interest of quality higher education .
The association also criticised the denial of incentives for MPhil and PhD both at the entry point and during service years, saying this reflects the extreme insensitivity of the Central Government towards the hard working and challenges faced by researchers in the country .
It demanded immediate release of the pending allowances ie SCA and TA by making correction of ROP 2011 .
AMCTA president M Lokendra Singh representing Manipur will attend National Executive Committee of AIFUCTO to be held in New Delhi on November 11 to deliberate on the details of the notification and plan future course of action, the release informed.
Source: The Sangai Express
