Imphal: College teachers under the umbrella of Federation of Government College Teachers’ Associations (FEGOCTA), Manipur stand firm to its stance to continue its agitation until the state government implements the 7th UGC Pay and Regulations, 2018.
The college teachers have been pressing the state government to hike their salary as per the recommendations of the 7th UGC Pay and Regulations.
The teachers’ association said it has been requesting the Government of Manipur to implement 7th UGC Pay and Regulations, 2018 since December, 2018. Three written assurances given to FEGOCTA by the Government to implement UGC policy in pre-Covid-19 pandemic were not fulfilled, the association’s general secretary Dr N. Somorendro Singh said.
“Two Cabinet approvals in principle were taken in the pre-Covid-19 time on November 29, 2019 and on February 11, 2020. The question is: was the government serious enough to implement national policy of UGC in pre-Covid-19 time in Manipur? Now blaming the college teachers and Covid-19 pandemic will resolve the agitations?” He said.
FEGOCTA submitted written ultimatum to the Government on January 11 to issue the orders of the Cabinet approval by January 27. The present 5th FEGOCTA agitations were only after the government failed to issue orders by the deadline, he added.
FEGOCTA had withdrawn the class boycott from January 28 considering the interests of the students after the opening of the colleges for the first time during Covid-19, he said.
“How can the college teachers accept that there is money for 7th pay for about one lakh other employees of the state but not for about 2000 college teachers of the state?” The teachers performed all the assigned duties during Covid-19 pandemic and still continues. These were expressed during the 11th day of protest taken up in different government colleges on February 10, he added.
FEGOCTA ‘sincerely’ appreciated the chief minister, education minister and other members of Manipur Legislative Assembly for serious discussion FEGOCTA demands on national policy of UGC, the secretary said.
The government college teachers are in all 60 constituencies of Legislative Assembly of Manipur. As resolved in previous FEGOCTA meetings, the government college teachers will continue the present 5th agitations until the Orders of 7th UGC Pay and Regulations, 2018 are issued. FEGOCTA adopted every agitation as the last resort only when the government fails, he added.
Education minister Rajen on Tuesday informed the House that the demands of FEGOCTA for the implementation of 7th Pay to the college teachers will converted into action as soon as possible. Biren also appealed to the agitating teachers to cooperate with the government and to come to the negotiating table in the larger interest of the student community.
The teachers’ agitation continued on Wednesday staging sit-ins at Pettigrew College, YK College, DM College of Science, Imphal College, GP Women’s College, Lamka College, NG College, Moirang College and Manipur College.
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