PATNA: Taking strong exception to the denial of pension to retired teachers, the Patna University Retired Teachers Association (Purta) has demanded immediate release of pension.
The association has strongly criticized the state government’s order to withhold pension of retired teachers of the university for the last two months on the pretext of realizing excess payment from a few teachers who were given higher salary as per UGC guidelines and statutory promotions by the university long back. Surprisingly, the victimized teachers include pensioners and also families of some dead teachers.
A number of senior Purta members, including some former vice chancellors, are filled with consternation at the government order to deny pension despite Supreme Court ruling on a number of cases that the denial of pension by the employers without any rhyme and reason is a criminal offence. These senior pensioners have reminded the government that at the fag end of their life, pension is the only source of their subsistence and also for fighting geriatric diseases.
On the government announcement regarding implementation of the 6th UGC pay scale from September, Purta opined that the announcement is not clear whether revision of pension prior to January 1, 2006 of retirees would be taken up simultaneously with working teachers or a separate circular issued immediately to this effect. The association reminded that the government had given an affidavit to the Patna high court in 2004 (CWJC 4273/2004) to revise pension of teachers who retired prior to January 1, 1996 along with the working ones.
Accordingly, the pension of pre-1996 retirees was revised and arrears paid. UGC guidelines for 6th pay revision have clearly recommended simultaneous pension revision.
Expressing its solidarity with the non-teaching employees of different universities of Bihar, who are on indefinite strike from July 1 last for the implementation of their long-pending demands, Purta has appealed to the state government to initiate necessary steps for ending the strike forthwith after a negotiated settlement so that normal academic activity begins soon.
Purta president BVN Sinha and general secretary S K Ganguli have also supported the indefinite strike by the college and university teachers of the state beginning from July 8 for the fulfilment of their genuine demands and has appealed to the government to give up its rigid stand and start immediate talks for averting the strike.