Ludhiana: Aided college teachers hold stir over ‘unmet’ demands

Teachers from 136 aided colleges across the state, including 22 in Ludhiana district, hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accusing chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s government of ‘failing to meet their long-standing promises’

Teachers from 136 aided colleges across the state, including 22 in Ludhiana district, held protests on Friday under the banner of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU).

Teachers from 136 aided colleges across the state, including 22 in Ludhiana district, claim that the government has not fulfilled key demands, including the implementation of the seventh pay scale. (HT Photo for Representation)

They hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accusing chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s government of ‘failing to meet their long-standing promises’.

The teachers claim that the government has not fulfilled key demands, including the implementation of the seventh pay scale.

PCCTU district president Chamkaur Singh said the AAP government, elected on the promise of improving education, has ‘neglected’ higher education. He emphasised that although the seventh pay scale was announced on September 5, 2022, it has not been implemented in colleges.

Files regarding the pay scale have been stuck in the office of the director of public instruction (DPI) for years, he alleged.

Singh demanded clarity from the government about corruption allegations circulating on social media regarding the DPI office.

District secretary Sunder Singh alleged that despite multiple meetings with the higher education department, matters related to pay fixation remain unresolved.

He criticised the DPI office for failing to meet its promise to clear the files by August 31, 2024. PCCTU area secretary for Panjab University Raman Sharma urged the government to increase grants according to the seventh pay scale, just as it did for the sixth pay scale in 2009.

The union is also demanding that unaided posts in aided colleges be converted into regular aided posts to ease the financial burden on colleges.

Executive member of PCCTU Varun Goel highlighted that the reduction of government grants from 95% to 75% for 1,925 posts filled on the orders of the high court has placed a heavy financial strain on colleges.

The PCCTU has announced multiple protests in the coming days, including a rally on October 4 and a candle march on October 28.

The union warned that the struggle will escalate if their demands are not met.