EMN
KOHIMA, AUGUST 26
THE State government has decided to release the pay arrears of government college teachers in cash who have retired from service or have expired.
Informing this in a notification on Monday, Commissioner and Secretary, Higher and Technical Education, FP Solo said payment of 20% in cash, which is the State’s share and the remaining 80%, which is the share of the government of India, would be impounded/credited into the GPF accounts of the respective serving government college teachers/librarians. This can be withdrawn from the GPF accounts only as and when Government of India releases its share.
With the release of the pay arrears, the government has appealed to the agitating members of All Nagaland Government College Teachers Association (ANGCTA) to withdraw their agitation and resume the classes in the interest and welfare of the student community.
Despite resource constraints, the State government has decided to release the arrears of pay amounting to the Rs 22.54 crore. This was consequent upon implementation of the UGC (Minimum Qualifications for Appointments of Teachers and other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and other Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education) Regulations 2010 with effect from January 1, 2006.
The notification also said the Division Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir (Retd) in its judgment delivered on July 19, 2013 has held that retirement age and pay scale fixed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for teachers are not binding for universities and colleges run by the State.
It was also observed that “there can be no automatic application of the recommendations made by the Commission, without any conscious decision being taken by the State in this regard, on account of the financial implications and other consequences attached to such a decision,” the notification said.
It further said it is not mandatory on the part of the State government to implement the UGC pay scheme to the teachers of government colleges. However, the State government has been implementing the UGC pay scale and other attractive career facilities for the welfare of the teaching community and most importantly for the welfare of the students.
These pay packages and facilities which are not available to other State government employees are being extended to the teaching community of higher education so as to “attract, nurture and retain talents in teaching profession and also to bring about quality education in the State,” the release pointed out.
Therefore, teachers cannot claim these facilities as a matter of right, the government said while noting that it is the prerogative of the State government to adopt the revised UGC pay scheme or not, as upheld by the highest court of the land.
It may be mentioned that the ANGCTA has decided to go for a two-day pen-down strike from August 26 to 27 as part of their second phase agitation over the alleged decision of the government to impound the arrears of their pay from January 1, 2006 to March 31, 2010 into the GPF accounts of the serving teachers.
