Uttar Pradesh Teachers warn of agitation

Angry over delay in implementation of the 6th Pay Commission recommendations, higher education teachers in the state may take to war path, posing a threat on the annual examinations due to begin in all the state universities from March 2. 

What has made the situation even more complicated is the fact that the Election Commission is expected to issue notification for the Lok Sabha elections on March 2, after which the government will not be able to issue an order on pay hike, thereby delaying the matter further till elections are over.

Significantly, while the government has made a budgetary provision of over Rs 169 crore for the 6th Pay Commission, an order to implement it has not been put before the cabinet for approval so far. The government only has to bear 20 per cent of the hike as University Grants Commission will pay 80 per cent of the amount. 

"We are unable to understand why the government is taking so long when the hike will not amount to any significant burden on the state exchequer," said Moulindu Mishra, president, Lucknow university  Associated Colleges' Teachers' Association (LUACTA). He pointed out that in the past UP had always been first to implement pay commission recommendations for higher education teachers. 

According to the provisions, the UGC will pay for 80% of the hike for five years and thereafter government will have to bear the entire amount for next five years before next pay commission report comes. 

There are 17,500 teachers in 12 state universities, 345 government-aided colleges and 125 government colleges in the state. Over 20 lakh students enrolled in these institutions will be hit if teachers decide to launch an agitation in midst of the examinations. 

Government foot the entire salary bill of the teachers in the colleges but for universities it has frozen the grants to the level fixed in 1997. Hence, government will only have to bear the 20 per cent expenses required for pay revision of teachers in colleges. 

Sources in the government said that while pay hike proposal for higher education teachers had been cleared by finance and law departments, it was pending at the level of higher education minister, who was supposed to table the proposal in the state cabinet for clearance. 

"Teachers will vote against this government in the LS elections, if it fails to implement the pay commission report soon. We are also considering to launch an agitation, but are keeping quiet for a while for the sake of students," said Mishra, who is in contact with teachers' association of other universities and state federation to draw out a plan to pressurise government for meeting their demand.

Source : Times of India.