PThe Utkal University Teachers’ Association (UUTA) has said that it would soon resume its protest against the alleged administrative apathy towards its genuine demands.
A UUTA delegation would meet the Governor, who is the Chancellor of Universities, and seek his intervention regarding fulfilment of the demands. A decision to this effect was taken at the association’s general body meeting held here on Thursday.
The association had staged protest for 15 days from July 10 and postponed the stir on July 25 after the Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar and the PG Council Chairman assured them to fulfil the demands by August 31.
The demands include immediate implementation of Career Advancement Scheme (CAS), the 7th Pay Scale Revision Committee recommendations, immediate repair of residential quarters, confirmation of faculty members, advance increment for MPhil/PhD holders, redesignation of Readers, recruitment of Non-Teaching staff, NPS arrears and insurance schemes.
“The university authorities have promised to fulfil our legitimate demands many times. On their assurance, we had postponed our protest till August 31. We will now meet the Chanellor and the Governor and seek his interventions,” said association members.
They too alleged that the Vice-Chancellor and other key officials have even marred the day-to-day functions of the university. Hundreds of files are being piled up in the office of the VC and the Registrar for approval and there is no progress on critical issues.
UUTA secretary Prof Kunja Behari Panda hoped that the Chancellor, being a former academician, would definitely intervene in breaking the inertia of inaction of the university authorities. “If needed, I will be on a hunger strike till death from October 2 onwards,” he said. The meeting was presided over by UUTA vice-president Prof Maheswar Sahu.