Chandigarh government college teachers await revised scales under UGC’s 7th pay commission
Teachers at Chandigarh’s government colleges point out Centre, other UTs have implemented 7th Pay Commission to grant revised pay scales and arrears
Despite the central service rules being notified for UT administration employees back in March, teachers at various government colleges in the city still await the benefit of the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) seventh pay commission.
Speaking about the same, the teachers said besides the central government, all the union territories and most of the states have implemented the seventh pay commission recommendations and granted the revised pay scales, along with the arrears to the academic staff working in higher-education institutions, adding that around 120 regular and 350 contractual teachers working in government colleges in the city are yet to receive the benefits of UGC seventh pay commission..
The teachers have submitted multiple representations to the UT administration officials to press for their demand.
Chandigarh Government College Teachers’ Association, in a recent representation submitted to director higher education (DHE), pointed out the Union ministry of home affairs’ notification GSR 230 (E) issued on March 29, 2022, equates Chandigarh employees with the employees of other union territories and states that the all employees will be treated per the pattern of central services rules.
They also maintained that the notification also puts at par the employees of higher-education institutes working under UGC or All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
Dr Purnendu Ranjan, an associate professor at Post Graduate Government College for Girls, Sector 42, said the AICTE-regulated college teachers of UT were granted the seventh pay scales since January 2020, adding, “Now when central service rules and UGC regulated teachers are categorised as a distinct group eligible to get salary and service condition on central government pattern, as the April 2022 gazette notification provides, the UT should not have taken another three months to grant us pay scales.”.
Chandigarh Government Colleges Teachers’ Association general secretary Rajesh Sharma, meanwhile, said, “As UT administration is working on it, we are hoping that government college teachers get the benefit soon.”
The issue of teachers wanting the seventh pay commission prior to the implementation of the central service rules has been learnt to be one of reasons behind the delay. The service rules were earlier governed by Punjab and the state had not yet adopted the seventh pay commission.
Assuring speedy resolution, DHE Chandigarh Amandeep Singh Bhatti, said, “The matter is under active consideration and it will be implemented as per the new notification.”