Chandigarh: The Higher Education Department of the Punjab Government showed utmost magnanimity in approving all the major demands of the University teachers, teachers of Colleges and teachers of Aided Colleges. Prominent amongst all the demands which were approved by the Punjab Government is the preparation of seniority list of the college cadre teaches which would be released within the timeframe of 2 months. Razia Sultan, Higher Education Minister, Punjab today held high level meeting with the representatives of University Teachers, Government College Teachers and teachers of Aided Colleges. She gave patient and sympathetic hearing to all the long pending demands of the teacher of higher education institutions.
On the demand of implantation of new scales recommended by 7th pay review committee of UGC, Mrs. Razia Sultana said that the advancement in this direction has already been made with the constitution of a High Powered DPI (Colleges) level Committee. She said that this committee would submit its report within 2 months and new pay scales would be implemented as per the report of this committee. Accepting the other major demand of promotion of the college teachers on the post of Professors, the Higher Education Minister instructed the DPI, Colleges to conduct the DPC within two months and ensure that deserving candidates are promoted to the post of Professors. Similarly responding to the demand of recruitment of Assistant Professors in the college cadre, Mrs. Razia Sultana divulged that as some legal tangle was involved in this issue, but now the legal opinion has been taken and the matter would be discussed with Chief Minister and recruitment would be done accordingly.
Likewise accepting the demand of increments to the Ph.D. / M.Phil left out teachers, Mrs. Razia Sultana instructed the DPI (Colleges) to ensure the compliance. Mr. S.K. Sandhu, Additional Chief Secretary, Higher Education asked the representatives of the teachers to send more names from the college cadre to depute them in the office of DPI (Colleges) on senior administrative posts. On the issue of grant of medical leave without any cap on number of days, Mr. Sandhu said that we will examine the matter vis a vis School Education Department and will relax the norms accordingly.
Besides the officer bearers of Punjab Government College Teachers’ Association (R) and Punjab Federation of University and Colleges Teachers’ Organisations (PFUCTO), Mr. Gurlovleen Singh, IAS, DPI (Colleges), Mr. M.P. Arora, Special Secretary, Higher Education were also present in the meeting.
