AMRITSAR :The meeting of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), comprising of the representatives of the Non-Government Aided Colleges’ Management Federation (NGACMF), Principals Association and Punjab Chandigarh Colleges Teachers Union was held at DAV College Jalandhar under the chairmanship of Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina, President of the Federation.
The JAC after thorough discussion out rightly rejected the Speaking Orders, dated 6-12-2022 issued by Principal Secretary, Higher Education, government of Punjab, since it is being implemented in the state in a highly biased manner as it excludes private universities to protect their commercial interests indirectly. The said Speaking orders are also in gross violation of the discussions during the meeting held by the Federation with the Secretary on August 8, 2022.
Federation President Rajiner Mohan Singh Chinna, General Secretary SM Sharma, Ravinder Nath Joshi and Principal Dr. Mehal Singh along with Dr. Khushwinder Kumar, President Principals’ Association (Panjabi University, Patiala) President Dr. Gurdev Singh Randhawa, President, Principles Association (GNDU, Amritsar) and Dr. Tejinder Kaur Dhaliwal from Punjab University, Chandigarh PCCTU Dr. Vinay Sofat, Prof. Gurdas Singh Sekhon and Prof. Jagdeep Kumar would form the 10-member JAC.
The JAC also expressed deep concern on the proposed change in the service condition of the teachers and Principal of aided colleges particularly relating the issues of age of retirement of the teachers. The Committee strongly recommended that no change would be tolerated with regard to change in service condition, particularly when the UGC recommends the retirement age at 65 years.
The issue of dilution of the grant in aid scheme was also taken up and JAC demanded the original scheme be restored in all sanctioned posts including 1925 posts where the grants of has been reduced unlawfully to the 75 per cent.
The meeting stated that as the present government of CM Bhaghwant Mann talks of focusing on education, they demand the all vacant posts in the 136 aided colleges including the posts filled and unaided posts be brought under the 95 per cent grants in aid scheme. They also requested CM to personally intervene and grant time for the meeting to JAC so that all these issues related higher education are resolved amicably in the best interests of institutions of higher learning.
They said in the past also the Associations have requested many times regarding discussions and meeting for resolving the issues of higher education but no action has been initiated from state government and if the issues were not resolved, the JAC will be constrained to launch an agitation to get justice.