FEGOCTA sticks to gun
CM's plea to give 4-5 months to Govt fails to cut ice
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 10 2021: Just a day after Chief Minister N Biren sought 3-4 months time to implement the 7th UGC Pay and Regulations, 2018, FEGOCTA (Federation of Government College Teachers' Associations) has made it clear that the teachers will not drop their agitation until the Government implements the pay scale.

In a statement today, FEGOCTA said the Government has repeatedly failed to keep its promises and as such the teachers will continue their agitation till the Government issues an order implementing the 7th UGC Pay and Regulations, 2018 .

Notably on the Assembly floor yesterday, Chief Minister N Biren Singh had urged the agitating teachers to drop their agitation and come to the negotiation table.

He had sought 3-4 months time to implement the Pay scale citing COVID-19 pandemic.

FEGOCTA sticks to gun

While appreciating the Chief Minister and Education Minister S Rajen for discussing the matter seriously during the Budget Session yesterday, FEGOCTA reminded the Government that the college teachers have been demanding implementation of the 7th UGC Pay since December 2018.Three written assurances given to the FEGOCTA by the Government to implement the Pay scale in the pre-Covid time were not fulfilled.

Above this, the State Cabinet had approved in principle, twice, to implement the 7th UGC Pay on November 29, 2019 and February 11, 2020 and yet failed to effect the approvals.

"The question is-- was the Government serious enough to implement the National policy of UGC [7th Pay] in pre-COVID-19 time in Manipur ?" asked FEGOCTA.

FEGOCTA had recently submitted an ultimatum to the Government on January 11 to issue an order implementing the 7th UGC Pay by January 27 .

The present 5th series of agitations was launched after the Government failed to issue the order within the stipulated time.

"How can the college teachers accept that there is money for 7th Pay for about one lakh other employees of the State but not for about 2000 college teachers of the State ?" asked FEGOCTA.

The teachers' body has been accusing the Government of showing apathy towards the college teachers.

It had repeatedly stated that all the other State Government employees except the college teachers are enjoying the 7th Pay.

The Government college teachers have been performing their duties amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the interest of the students, FEGOCTA had recently withdrawn its call to boycott classes from January 28, it said.

As resolved in a previous meeting of the Government college teachers, FEGOCTA's agitation will continue till the Government issues the order implementing the 7th UGC Pay and Regulations, 2018, the body said.

Meanwhile, teaching community of YK (Yangambam Kumar) College, Wangjing staged a sit-in protest at the college campus in Thoubal today.

During the sit-in protest, a teacher of the college said the assurance given by Chief Minister N Biren Singh to implement the 7th UGC Pay on the Assembly floor yesterday was not "trustworthy" as the Government has repeatedly failed to keep its promises since 2018.All other employees of the State Government are enjoying the 7th Pay except the college teachers.

This apathy has affected the morale of the teachers.

If the Government really wants the 7th Pay for the teachers, then it should implement the pay scale in toto, said the teacher.

The Government has repeatedly made empty promises to the teachers.

Now the agitation will continue until the order implementing the Pay scale is issued, added the teacher.