Employees of Aided Colleges of three Universities hold Statewide Protest Over No Salaries

Jalandhar, December 18, 2014: The Punjab and College Teachers Union, a representative body of teachers of more than 135 government-aided colleges in Punjab and Chandigarh, has convened a meeting of joint action committee on December 17 at Jalandhar to intensify their ongoing agitation.

The state government has not released the teachers’ salaries for the past 18 months, said Kuldip Singh, president of the Union. He said teaching and other staff of these colleges would not conduct the scheduled semester examination of students on December 19 in the colleges affiliated to Panjab University, Punjabi University and Guru Nanak Dev University. About two lakh students were scheduled to appear in various examinations. The teachers said they were forced to take such a decision as they had been passing through difficult times.

Kuldip Singh said aided colleges in Malerkotla, Morinda and some other places did not have any source of income and the staff of these colleges had not got even a single penny for more than a year.

“Several other colleges have taken loans from banks or mobilised other resources to make part payment to the staff,” he said.

Students in cities such as Amritsar are dependent on private-aided colleges. “There is not a single government college in Amritsar, Moga, Abohar and Ferozepur. Students at such places are studying in aided colleges. With the government not paying salary to the staff, students have to face problems,” said another union leader.

“The number of government colleges is meager  about 53 in the Punjab whereas there are more than 130 private  aided colleges. At least 80 per cent students (about 3 lakh) study in private-aided colleges,” claimed Principal Dr BB Sharma-President-JAC.

“The budget of government colleges is three times more than what the government has to pay to teachers and other staff of aided colleges,” said Jagwant Singh.

There had been no recruitment in aided colleges since 2005. Of the total 3,565 sanctioned posts of lecturer, only 1,400 were filled. Even they were not being paid, said Kuldip Singh.

Around 136 private aided colleges across the state remained closed on Monday. Protesting against the non-payment of their salaries for the past 18 months, the staff of private aided colleges affiliated to Guru Nanak Dev University held a state-level rally at the local Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall in Jalandhar. After a state-level protest and boycott of examination on December 15, the members of the Joint Co-Ordination Committee of Non-Government Affiliated Colleges of Punjab and Chandigarh are to hold a state-level rally in Amritsar on December 19.

The decision was taken by the members during a meeting held at DAV College, Jalandhar.

Gurdeep Sharma, state convener of joint action committee, and SD College, Hoshiarpur, principal Goswami Ganesh Dutta, said, “A massive rally will be held in Company Bagh in Amritsar district on December 19. In other districts across Punjab and Chandigarh, gate rallies will be held after observing total ‘cease work’ to highlight the anti-education policies of the state government.” 

On Monday, higher education minister Surjit Singh Rakhra released a grant of `32 crore for the 92 private-aided colleges of the state for the second quarter of the fiscal year 2013-14. 

However, the members expressed dissatisfaction over the release of grants for just one quarter out of the pending six quarters since May 2013.

Committee member BB Sharma said it was decided that the ongoing agitation would be intensified. He added that the state’s MLAs and MPs will be informed of the delay in release of grants.

Madan Lal Khullar, state president of Private College Non-Teaching Employees’ Union, said the government had not given them a salary hike as per the grade set in December 2011, or arrears since January 2006.Other demands of the committee include inter-alia lifting of ban on recruitments and filling vacant posts under 95% grant in aid schemes, withdrawal of the decision to curtailing house rent and medical allowances of employees, release of raised pay scale notification of non-teaching employees, restoration of security of service, relaxation in refresher courses as per UGC guidelines, implementation for pension and gratuity.

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