The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	In Protest Zone Teachers take pay scale fight to streets Tribune News Service Amritsar, August 19 Intensifying the stir, the activists of Punjab Federation of University of College Teachers Organisation (PFUCTO) and Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) today started its agitation by holding demonstration against the state government for its failure to implement the revised pay scales. Teachers from Guru Nanak Dev University and various colleges from Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran ceased work and held a rally at DAV College here. During the protest they raised slogans against the state government, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. It is pertinent to mention here that the executive meeting of the organisation comprising representatives of teachers from Panjab Univeristy, Guru Nanak Dev University, Punjab Agriculture University, Punjabi University besides government and non-government colleges has chalked out a programme to intensify the protest that it would cover entire length and breadth of the state and culminate in a massive protest rally at Chandigarh on Teachers’ Day ie September 5, 2009. On August 21, teachers from Regional Centre of GNDU, Jalandhar and colleges of Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur districts would cease work and would hold rally at Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall, Jalandhar. Teachers of Panjab University, Chandigarh and colleges of Chandigarh, Mohali and Ropar districts would stop their work and hold a rally in Sector 17 on August 25. Teachers of Punjabi University, Patiala and its affiliated colleges in Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Bhatinda, Sangrur and Barnala districts will cease work and hold a rally at Patiala on August 28. On September 1, teachers of PAU, Ludhiana GADVASU, Ludhiana and college from districts of Ludhiana, Moga, Ferozepur, Faridkot and Muktsar will cease work and hold a rally at Ludhiana. These rallies would be followed by a massive rally at Sector 25, Chandigarh on Teachers’ Day when, teachers from all over the state will proceed on mass casual leave to hold rally at Chandigarh, said Dr Dhillon. Dr S S Dhillon, president of PFUCTO said that the government was dithering on implementing the revised scales even as the central government has notified the scales on December 31, 2008 and 80 per cent of the additional burden from January 2006 to March 2010 was to be met by the Central Government. Prof H S Walia, general secretary, PCCTU said that it was not the shortage of resources but short sighted police of the Punjab government which was creating road blocks in the way of non-implementation of new scales. Jalandhar: On a call given by the Punjab Federation of University and College Teachers Organisation (PFUCTO) and Government College Teachers Association (GCTA), teachers of government colleges observed a two-hour strike here today. They demanded that the government should fulfil their long-pending demand of issuing notification regarding the revised pay scales by the University Grants Commission (UGC). President of the GCTA Jaipal Singh said despite passing the revised pay scales the state government had failed to issue a notification. The members of the PFUCTO from Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran also observed a day’s strike. He added that the PFUCTO had decided to conduct a protest rally at the local Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Hall on August 21 in which the college teachers from Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur and Nawashahr would take part.
	Apeejay teachers join too Jalandhar, August 19 The Apeejay unit of the Punjab Chandigarh College Teachers Union (PCCTU) today observed cease work for two hours at the local Apeejay College of Fine Arts. President of the Apeejay unit Monica Sekhon said the state government had failed to issue a notification regarding the revised pay scales as directed by the UGC. “It has been months since we are demanding implementation of the revised pay scales,” she added. The members of the union had decided to go on a mass casual leave on September 5 as a mark of protest against the apathetic attitude of the government. — TNS
	BSNL staff on 2-day strike Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 19 Demanding immediate wage revision and implementation of promotion policy, members of the BSNL Employees Union, Jalandhar Secondary Switching Area, went on a two-day strike from today. While the union remained busy in pressing for their demands, the customers were left in the lurch. The harried customers had to return without paying the phone bills and getting their grievances readdressed. District secretary of the union Satpal Badhan said the pay scale revision of the employees had been due since January 1, 2007. “The BSNL management has turned a blind eye towards our issues. We have been urging the BSNL management for the past two years to fulfil our demands, but to no avail,” he added. The agitated employees raised anti-BSNL slogans and demanded the fulfilment of their demands. “Despite approval from the BSNL management the promotion policy of the employees has not been implemented. Even the wage revision is not been done despite protests from the union,” he maintained. A large number of BSNL employees in Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Nawanshahr districts went on strike.
	Lawyers boycott courts Tribune News Service Gurdaspur, August 19 The members of the District Bar Association today observed boycott of the courts to lodge their protest against the proposals floated in the conference of Chief Justices, held recently in Delhi, to reform the judicial system. Association president Baltej Singh Saroa talking to The Tribune said the members would also observe the boycott tomorrow. He said the district bar had also made an appeal to bar associations of other parts of Punjab to lodge their protest too. He said the bar members were opposed to the proposal floated in the conferences of Chief Justices that the timing of courts must be in the morning and in the evening. This would lead to taxing psychological pressure on the lawyers and they would not be able to serve their clients. Apart from it, the bar members were also opposed to the proposal that village courts be set up in the country so that number of cases, pending in different courts could be cut.
	Mining contractor’s men booked for thrashing villagers Bharat Bhushan Dogra Pathankot, August 19 The Shahpur Kandi police booked 35 hired men of a private contractor for beating up villagers at the naka laid down by the contractor at Harial village, 13 km from here, today. SP Harpreet Singh said the contractor had set up a barrier to collect mining fee from the persons who were taking sand from the bed rivers of Chakki and Ravi. The argument occurred today when a villager carrying sand in his tractor-trailor was stopped at the barrier for the payment. The villager refused to pay following which the contractor’s men thrashed the villager. Receiving information about the beating incident, villagers rushed to the spot and scuffled with the contractor’s hired men, who supervised the fee recovery. The villagers blocked traffic for more than two hours and raised slogans against the contractor. The SP said a police party was sent to the venue to control the situation. As soon as the police reached the site, the contractor’s men fled from the scene. A case was registered against the hired men of the contractor under sections 452, 506, 341, 148 and 149 of the IPC. The villagers lifted the dharna only after the registration of the case. Purshotam Dass, a resident of the area, demanded to remove the barrier collecting fee on sand and said if the government wanted to check illegal mining, then it should deploy its own officials at the barrier. The villagers alleged that the contractor mostly used hired persons to press the villagers to pay mining fee.
	MP-based couple killed, 14 hurt in accident Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 19 A Madhya Pradesh-based couple, who was returning after offering prayers at the Vaishno Devi shrine, was killed and 14 others injured in an accident on the busy Jammu-Ludhiana highway near Goraya today. Hailing from Gona district in MP Mathura Lal and his wife Nimma Bai along with 14 others were travelling in a cab when it rammed into an unidentified stationary vehicle from behind. The injured were rushed to Civil Hospital, Phillaur. Four seriously injured persons were shifted to a private hospital in Goraya. Talking to The Tribune, Phillaur DSP Sandeep Sharma claimed that the impact of the collision was so high that the couple sitting in front died and the injured had to be extricated from the mangled remains of the vehicle with the help of locals. Locals came forward and pooled money for the medicines and tests for the injured who were left with no money. The bodies have been preserved in the morgue in the Civil Hospital and the relatives were expected to reach by tomorrow morning. A case of rash and negligent driving has been registered against the driver, who fled away.