Varsity, college teachers to take out protest rally in Ludhiana today

Our Correspondent

Doraha, October 5

Intensifying their protest as per the call given by the Punjab Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (PFCUTO), teachers of the district are going to participate in a protest rally, which wiil be initiated from Thapar Hall of the PAU tomorrow towards the residence of the local MLA where the teachers would submit their memorandum of demands.

Earlier, seven teachers of the district, including Dr Dalip, Dr Harjinder Singh, Prof Bhupinder Kaur, Prof Gurpreet Singh, Dr Surinder Mohan Deep, Prof Kuldeep Batta and Dr Suresh Kumar sat on a day-long hunger strike on October 1. Expressing solidarity with those participating in the chain fast, teachers of all colleges sat on a dharna on their campuses. University and college teachers across the state and Chandigarh are sitting on a hunger strike for the past 31 days against the unwarranted delay in the implementation of UGC grades in the state and Chandigarh by the Punjab Government.

PCCTU district president Prof Kuldeep Batta said: “All teachers of the district will assemble at Thapar Hall tomorrow to fight against the non-cooperative attitude of the government towards the demands of the teachers. A total of 23 states have already implemented the UGC pay scales. Punjab has been left behind. This, despite the fact that 50 per cent of the share has to be contributed by the Centre. We will fight till the end.”

Khanna unit president of the PCCTU Dr Sanjeev Kumar shared that the government has forced us to resort to such a measure by backing away from its words.

“The Employees’ Affiliated Colleges Security of Service Act, 1974, should be brought in line with judgments of the Supreme Court. Further, regularisation of assistant professors appointed against 1,925 posts and filling of vacant positions in the higher education system should be accomplished on a priority basis. All teachers should show solidarity towards the strike so that it becomes a movement and the government is forced to relent,” he said.

Dr Jagwant Singh, general secretary, PFUCTO, said: “There was no looking back for us now. It has been 31 days today that the teachers are sitting on a chain fast on a rotation basis and it will be continued till our demands are met by the stat government,” he added.