IMPHAL Feb 26: COTA urges the state government to consider the rightful demand of the teachers at the earliest. The recent outburst of the Chief Minister O Ibobi alleging financial mishaps in the state if the demand of COTA is met is highly improbable , and the stance of the teachers should not be presented in the wrong light , a press release of COTA states.
The release further states that the cabinet should put up the matter on the table and further reflect on the pay structure received by the teaching fraternity in other states.
The college teachers also condemned the statement of Manipur chief minister O Ibobi Singh who said yesterday that the demand of the teachers couldn`™t be met.
It is worth noting that government teachers of Manipur under the aegis of Council of Teachers Association (COTA) have intensified their ongoing fast until death stir with 200 more teachers volunteering to break into a striking mode, more waiting in the anvil to join their colleagues at the face of stark reality following total apathy by the government to their demand for the implementation of central 6th revised pay commission recommendation in toto.
Teachers under COTA have been resorting to fast until death stir as a last option since January 19 at the campus premises of Johnstone Higher Secondary School and later shifted to Churachand Higher secondary School demanding implementation of the 6th pay commission recommendation in toto. As of today, 195 teachers have been arrested by the police and lodged in jail on charges of attempting to commit suicide.
It has been demanding the implementation of 6th pay recommendation since 2009 via various forms of agitation and negotiation. Early in 2010, the government and the striking teachers had reached an agreement with the government buckling under pressure and agreeing to adopt and accept the implementation of the recommendation of six pay commission.
But since their demand has been falling on deaf ears of the government, COTA has pledged to intensify its stir with member teachers volunteering in huge numbers .
At least 195 teachers who were on fast until death stir have since been arrested .
In their attempt to step up the agitation, 200 teachers ,180 from Imphal East zone II and 20 from Chandel district freshly joined the stir Beginning Tuesday last, the teachers are going into an overdrive with the ongoing fast until death stir in a group of 200 teachers. Earlier on, the teachers sat at the fast in a group of 20 so as not to disrupt the academic atmosphere of schools.
The teachers`™ body also alleged that despite three rounds of negotiation and constant pressure, the government is still unwilling to produce a white paper on the non-plan budget of teachers and education, hiding as it is within a non-transparent and unaccountable veil.
Federation of All Colleges Teachers`™ Association Manipur (FACTAM) has also been demanding UGC pay bands by going on a mass casual leave on February 18 and 19. Since yesterday, the college teachers have also resorted to sit in protest and have given February 28 as the deadline for the government to meet their demand failing which FACTAM will launch different forms of agitation.
This move of FACTAM will effectively paralyze around 28 colleges, bringing the academic atmosphere of the students to a complete halt.
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