Faculty affiliated to the Kanchi Mamunivar Government Institute for Postgraduate Studies and Research (KMGIPSR) staged a protest in front of the college at Lawspet here on Wednesday, demanding immediate implementation of pay scales as per the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission.
Puducherry Government College Assistant Professors Association general secretary K. Sankaraiah said that equal allowances in the old pay have also been kept pending as per the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission. Pay scale and promotion are two important steps in the career of government employees.
However, for teachers working in government colleges of the Union Territory – KMGIPSR; Tagore Arts College; Bharathidasan Government College for Women; Arignar Anna Arts College, Karaikal; Avvair Government College for Women, Karaikal; Mahatma Gandhi Government Arts College, Mahe and Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Government Arts College, Yanam, promotions were pending for more than 13 years, Mr. Sankaraiah said.
“The implementation of the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) as per the recommendations of the University Grants Commission (UGC) is pending for many years. Though an assurance was given by the Education Secretary and Director, Directorate of Higher and Technical Education (DHTE) that it will be implemented in the budget for 2021-22, it is still pending,” he said.
While faculty members recruited by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in government colleges were yet to receive revised pay scales and promotions, government employees in other departments had received time-bound promotions and salaries. He said, ‘It is extremely unfair.
A spokesperson of the association said that several faculty members who had joined the service as assistant professors had retired with the same post even after 15 to 20 years of service. “Despite the inordinate delay, we are providing our services with utmost commitment. However, all our arguments have fallen on deaf ears,” he said.
He said that if the authorities did not address our demands, the faculty members would be forced to go on an indefinite dharna in front of the respective colleges.