Edu-leaders

Hundreds of teachers from over 160 professional colleges in Punjab and Chandigarh have gone on a mass leave demanding a pension scheme, revised salaries and revocation of ban on recruitment.

The teachers also held a rally in Chandigarh, criticising Punjab government for its failure to implement its election manifesto promise of a pension and gratuity scheme for teachers of privately managed colleges across Punjab.

"We have reminded Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal that he had moved a bill in the Punjab assembly March 30, 1999, to amend the Security of Service Act (1974) to grant pension-gratuity scheme to employees of non-government colleges, which was unanimously adopted by the assembly and was notified in the official gazette on April 26, 1999," said PCCTU president Jagwant Singh.

"Under the act, his cabinet approved a scheme in December 2001 which could not be implemented due to elections. Since, it is an unimplemented decision of his cabinet and promise made in his party's poll manifesto, he should take immediate steps for its implementation," Singh added.

He said that the ban on recruitment has played havoc with the college education system.

Haryana lifted the ban five years ago. Punjab should do the same so that higher education in the state does not suffer, he added.

Source: igovernment