UP Teachers angry with step-motherly treatment of state govt

Resentment is brewing among higher education teachers due to delay in implementation of the sixth pay commission report. Though ministry of HRD has authinticated Fitment Table for fixation of pay, the state Govt it yet to start the process of implementation. Most interestingly, the pay hike has been implemented to the employees and as a result, the non teachin staff in state universities are getting higher salary than the teachers.

Both Lucknow University Teachers' Association (LUTA) and Lucknow University Associated Colleges Teachers Association (LUACTA) have threatened to take to war path, if pay commission report is not implemented soon. LUTA has called a general body meeting on June 18 at 11 am in the Staff Club to decide future course of action. LUTA president Anil Shukla said that teachers are angry with the step-motherly treatment given to them by the state government and would not hesitate in stalling the admission process, if their demands were not met.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) had approved salary scales for higher education teachers at par with the sixth pay commission report last year. In case of higher education, 80 per cent of the increased salary is given by the UGC for five years and 20 per cent has to be borne by the state government. In February, the statement government announced that it would provide the hiked salary scales to teachers as per the recommendations from January 2006. But the order also said that arrears for the period between January 2006 and December 2008 would be imaginary.

Later, following protests by teachers, the state government agreed to provide full arrears. However, by then elections were announced and government could not implement the decision because of election code of conduct. Earlier, this month `fitment tables' (salary scales as per the post) were released. Now, the state government needs to sanction money and send `fitment tables' to the state universities and director higher education for calculation of revised scales to be paid to teachers of state universities and government/government-aided degree colleges.

However, LUACTA president Moulindu Mishra told TOI that the government has neither sent fitment tables nor issued any order so far. He also said that government has also not released order for payment of arrears between 2006 and 2008 as it has agreed earlier. Orders related to payment of revised house rent allowance, family planning increment and pensions are also pending. "I fail to understand why there is a delay in issuing of orders when the state government has to pay only 20% of the amount for the revised scales," he said.

* The HRD ministry has issued nine fitment tables for the purpose of segregating assistant professors, associate professors, professors, librarians, principals, registrars, finance officers, controller of examinations and director physical education.

* The fitment tables carry the academic grade pay from Rs 6000 to Rs 10,000 for teachers, while grade pay of Rs 7600 to Rs 10,000 has been approved for administrative staff.

* The incumbent readers, now designated as associate professors with three years of service as on January 1, 2006 have been placed in the pay band of Rs 37,400-67000 with academic grade pay of Rs 9000.

* With the enhancement of pay scales, the UGC has also directed the state universities and colleges to observe 30 weeks of actual teaching in a six day week and fixed a period of 12 weeks for admissions, examinations and sports etc.

* The UGC has also curtailed the period of vacations and holidays in a session by over two weeks in a session.

* The UGC has also issued elaborated academic performance indicators and weightage points tables required to develop performance appraisal for teachers in regard to career advancement.

* Under performance appraisal scoring system (PASS) the teachers would be required to achieve minimum 100 to 300 points to move from one academic grade pay to another.

Source : The Times of India.