Teachers in Punjab govt varsities demand setting up of pay

Teachers of five government universities in Punjab and Union Territory of Chandigarh today said they will launch an agitation demanding setting up of a pay review committee by the UGC for varsity and college teachers.
The university teachers will launch an agitation demanding appointment of UGC pay review committee by holding its first university campus rally at PAU Ludhiana tomorrow, Dr Jagwant Singh, General Secretary Punjab Federation of University and College Teachers Organisations (PFUCTO) and Professor Akshay Kumar, President of Punjabi University Teachers' Association (PUTA), Chandigarh said here today.
The teachers of Panjab University, Chandigarh, Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) Amritsar, Punjabi University Patiala, Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) Ludhiana, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University (GADVASU) Ludhiana will take part in the agitation.

"It is for the first time that the Central Pay Commission has already submitted its report to the Union Government and pay review committee for Universities and college teachers is yet to be appointed," they said.
Complete silence of Centre and its refusal to discuss the issues with elected leadership of teachers, indicates that the Union government has no intention to create a conducive environment to attract talent to teaching profession, they said.
"This will have serious consequences for the future generation of students," they said.

Rally at Ludhiana will be followed by a rally at Punjabi University, Patiala on February 19 in which teachers working in affiliated colleges of Punjabi University will also participate, they said.

A State level rally will be held at Panjab University Chandigarh on February 25, when teachers will proceed on mass casual leave to join the rally, they said.
Thereafter teachers will participate in national level rally at New Delhi on March 14, for which call has been given by All India Federation of University and College Teachers Organizations (AIFUCTO).
The Federation of Central universities Teachers Associations (FEDCUTA) has already extended the support for rally at New Delhi.
Other demands of the Federation include resolution of Net-PhD issues and end to contractual appointments.