Annual convention of Orissa Government College Teachers’ Association being held at BJB Autonomous College in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, March 6: Orissa Government College Teachers’ Association today demanded that the state government should bring all junior lecturers into degree college fold with UGC pay scales, before separating the Plus Two colleges from the degree colleges.

On the sidelines of the associations’ annual convention, the members demanded for implementation of the revised UGC pay scale.

“Unless the UGC pay scale is extended to all government college teachers appointed after April 1989, the state will be delinked from the national mainstream and it will lose enormous amount of financial assistance for development of higher education in the state,” said Amiya Mohanty, national council member of All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO).

The association also demanded filling up of all vacant teaching and administrative posts in government colleges on regular basis and creation of professor posts in degree and postgraduate colleges.

“All the posts of principals which have been lying vacant must be filled up and the in-charge system in administration must be immediately done away with. As per UGC guidelines, professors’ posts must be created in degree and PG colleges,” said association joint secretary Manas Behera.

There were at least 533 vacancies in degree colleges across the state. Even a premier college such as BJB Autonomous College was functioning with 30 teaching vacancies, he said.

“The state should also reconsider the government order to stop payment of remuneration to government college teachers drawing UGC pay scale for all exam related assignments,” said Mohanty.