Maharashtra to invoke MESMA if teachers strike at crucial time: Vinod Tawde

Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde on Sunday warned that the state government might invoke the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) in future if teachers, professors and non-teaching staff resort to strikes at crucial times, like examinations.

He was addressing a seminar on higher education organised by Maharashtra Universities Officers' Forum (MUOF) and Mumbai University Officers Welfare Association (MUOWA) at Mumbai University here on Sunday.

"At times, some unions pull launch agitation right on the eve of examination and try to get their demands met. Even now, the non-teaching staff of Mumbai University has resorted to agitation to oppose the biometric attendance system. Such agitations are harming the students," Tawde said.

"At such times, we can enforce the MESMA passed by the erstwhile Congress government, which we have not done so far in the last one and half years. But there is pressure building on me from various sections of society to enforce the Act," he added. Tawde said in the last one and half years, the government has tried to resolve the issues through dialogue.

"However, in the near future if these unions resort to unnecessary agitations, then in order to protect the interest of the students, we might be forced to enforce MESMA and that no one will be able to stop," Tawde said. Addressing the gathering, he said that the teaching and non-teaching staff always resort to agitations contending that the government does not talk to them and hence they allege that they have to resort to agitations.

"But the government is always ready for talks with these unions and believes that issues can be resolved through dialogue," he said.

The MUOF and MUOWA donated Rs 1 lakh as collective aid towards drought relief.

Tawde further said that universities are and should remain so and there should be no government control over them.

"Although universities are autonomous. they should protect the interests of the students and their education," he said.

He expressed hope that the universities do not misuse their autonomy.