PK Shahi

Patna, Jan. 6: State human resource development minister P.K. Shahi, in his effort to reform the education sector, devoted the day meeting various organisations.

Shahi met representatives of Federation of University Teachers’ Association of Bihar (FUTAB), Bihar Secondary School Teachers’ Association, and Federation of Retired Teachers’ Association of Bihar and discussed their demands. The representatives’ demands ranged from implementation of new pay scale, promotion of teachers and their superannuation, and pension revision.

FUTAB general secretary Sanjay Singh said: “The FUTAB members met the human resource development minister and informed him about their demands. The minister assured us that state government would try to sort out their demands.” On implementation of new pay-scale, the minister said that the state government has no problem in giving the UGC pay-scale to teachers but till now only Patna University and LN Mithila University Darbhanga have submitted the pay-fixation report to the HRD department.

The minister also assured the representatives that the department would look into the issue of lab-technician and demonstrators whose pay-fixation has not been done by respective university.

Shahi also assured that the universities would be directed to furnish details about the teachers whose promotion is due for years. Singh said: “Shahi assured that once universities submit the list of teachers whose promotion is due, the state government will issue a directive within a month for the promotion of these teachers.” The HRD minister also said that according to Patna High Court directive the state government has no problem in increasing the retirement age of teachers from 62 to 65 years.

HRD principal secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and director of higher education J.P. Singh also attended the meeting. Later, the minister met representatives of Bihar Secondary School Teachers’ Association and assured them of sorting out their problems.

In the evening Shahi met with the associations of retired teachers. The retired teachers are demanding a revision of pension and family pension from January 1, 2006, a merger of 50 per cent dearness relief with pension from January 1, 2005 and medical allowances of Rs 200 a month.

S.K. Ganguli, the general secretary of Patna University Retired Teachers’ Association said: “The meeting with the HRD minister was very cordial. The minister heard our demands and assured us that the government is committed for fulfilling their demands.”

“The minister assured that within a week the pension revision of retired teachers will be done and the universities would be directed to speed up the process,” said Ganguli.

The HRD minister also sought the help and cooperation of retired teachers in brining teaching reforms at university-level.