Mass Leave By the Private Teachers Of The Punjab And Chandigarh

Demanding a pension scheme, revised salaries, and revocation of ban on recruitment, hundreds of teachers from over 160 professional colleges in Punjab and Chandigarh on Tuesday went on mass casual leave.

The call for the protest was given by the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU).

Non-teaching employees of seven non-government colleges of Chandigarh also joined the rally.

"We have reminded Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal that he had moved a bill in the Punjab assembly March 30, 1999, to amend the Security of Service Act (1974) to grant pension-gratuity scheme to employees of non-government colleges, which was unanimously adopted by the assembly and was notified in the official gazette on April 26, 1999," said PCCTU president Jagwant Singh.

He said that the ban on recruitment has played havoc with the college education system.

"Haryana lifted the ban five years ago. Punjab should lift the ban to save the higher education," he added. IANS